Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preliminary Material / John Chi-Kin Lee , Zeyuan Yu , Xianhan Huang and Edmond Hau-Fai Law -- Educational Development in Western China / John Chi-Kin Lee , Zeyuan Yu , Xianhan Huang and Edmond Hau-Fai Law -- Review of the Pressing Research Issues on West of China’s Ethnic Minority Education / Jian Wang -- Development of What, for What, and for Whom? / Stephen A. Bahry -- Gender Inequality and Ethnicity / Yanbi Hong -- The Welfare and Education of Left-Behind Children in Western China / Bernadette Robinson -- The Pathways to Higher Education for Ethnic Minorities in China Are Not Easy / Jef C. Verhoeven and Jianxin Zhang -- A Glimpse of Quality and Equity Issues in Education in West China / Ju Huang and Shijing Xu -- Reluctant to Serve Their Hometowns and Country / Timothy A. Grose -- Developing Trilingual Education in Western China / Eric Johnson , Ma Fu and Bob Adamson -- Innovation and Change in English Teaching in the Western Provinces of China / Daguo Li , Xiaorong Zhang and Viv Edwards -- Deciphering Difference / Mary Ann Maslak -- Intentions and Influences of Teachers’ School Based Curriculum Development in Primary and Secondary Schools in Northwest China / Mingren Zhao , Chenzhi Li and Edmond Hau-Fai Law -- Research on Mathematics Teaching Experiment of “Situated Creation and Problem-Based Instruction” in Middle and Primary Schools / Xiaogang Xia , Chuanhan Lv , Bingyi Wang and Yunming Song -- Teacher Commitment in Northwest China / Xianhan Huang , John Chi-Kin Lee , Zhonghua Zhang and Jian Wang -- Challenges and Insights of Early Childhood Education in West China / Xiaoping Yang , Min Li and Shanan Wang -- Development of Special and Inclusive Education in Western China / Meng Deng and Kim Fong Poon-McBrayer -- Changing University Governance / Manhong Lai , Linlin Li and Ping Du -- The Contribution of International Aid to the Development of Basic Education in Western China / Bernadette Robinson.

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In 2000, the “Western Development” plan of the Chinese Mainland attracted attention of educators and policy makers. Around that period, the Chinese government also launched large scale and systemic curriculum reforms in basic education and secondary education in achieving quality education across the vast country. Despite significant progress that has been made in educational investments and attainments in China, issues of quality and regional disparities across China remain, especially in the less developed, western part of China where the significance of ethnic diversity, urban-rural disparity and variations in school development exists. In addition, there have been entrenched problems of teacher and teaching quality, resources inadequacy and ‘left-behind’ children. Written by a group of Chinese and international scholars, the book provides an updated analysis and discussion of educational development and related issues in the less developed part of Western China. These chapters cover broad contextual issues of educational development and reforms, issues of quality and equality in different sectors of education, as well as curriculum implementation, teaching innovations and professional development of teachers.