The Analyses of Educational Backgrounds and Career Paths of Faculty in Higher Education Institutions in Beijing

[Abstract]:There are some long-standing problems in China’s higher education institutions (HEIs), such as monotonous educational background and stagnation of faculty as a result of faculty recruiting from a pool of graduates and permanent employment. The survey is focused on faculty ’ educational backgrounds and work experiences. All together 3,220 valid questionnaires have been collected from 22 universities and colleges in Beijing by stratified sampling. We have had the following conclusions after conducting statistical analyses of faculty’s questionnaire. With regard to faculty’s educational backgrounds, statistical results show that 1）All together 38.4 percent of faculty hold doctor degrees. There is a marked difference in doctor, master and bachelor degree combinations among different tiers of institutions. We see an inverted triangle in key universities, an olive curve in ordinary universities and a pyramid in vocational colleges. 2）The trend is clear and optimistic that younger faculty tend to hold higher degrees than senior ones. 3）The educational backgrounds of faculty in HEIs are monotonous that 45.2 percent of faculty receive all their degrees in one institution. 4）18 percent of faculty have multiple-disciplinar