The Evaluation of a Chinese-Language Teacher-Certification Program in an East-Coast State

The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Chinese-language teacher-certification program offered by the Center for Chinese Language Teacher Certification and Development (CCLTCD). Since 2000, more and more students have chosen Chinese as their second language and Chinese-language programs have been growing rapidly in American K-12 schools. However, lack of highly qualified Chinese-language teachers hinders the development of Chinese language programs. It requires educational researchers to find an effective means to train potential Chinese-language teachers and help them establish a standards-based and student-centered classroom. Qualitative data were collected from stakeholder participants related to this program to answer three research questions. Through questionnaires and phone interviews, three faculty members, nine current students at the time of study, and ten alumni provided their perspectives on program strength, program challenges, and suggestions for improvements. The ACTFL Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers (ACTFL, 2013) and Vygotsky’s constructivism theory (Vygotsky, 1978) were frameworks for identifying the components of the effectiveness of this program. Results showed that the Chinese-language teacher-certification program of the CCLTCD was a successful program to prepare potential Chinese-language teachers for American K-12 schools, while its courses and network opportunities addressed potential Chinese-language teachers’ needs and helped them develop a standards-based and student-centered classroom. Suggestions were provided to improve this program and potential Chinese-language teacher education programs. Future research is recommended to follow up on this program’s graduates, which may add more insight to Chinese-language teaching and Chinese-language teacher preparation