Initial teacher education in transition: responding to English language curriculum reform in China

In 2022, China introduced a new English Language Curriculum, mandating changes to initial teacher education (ITE) programmes. While empirical studies underscore ITE’s crucial role in driving curricular reform, less is known about the factors influencing teacher preparation programme effectiveness in response to curriculum changes.)Our comparative analysis of interviews with seven university-based teacher educators and 10 school mentors from two Chinese ITE programmes reveals multifaceted factors that advance understanding of ITE as an active mediator of curriculum change: the structural alignment between reform principles and institutionalised knowledge hierarchies, where mere administrative compliance might mask frameworks that constrain implementation; the disciplinary composition of teacher education faculty, where qualification extends beyond formal credentials to include deeper alignment with the reform’s pedagogical orientation; curriculum materials as knowledge transformation catalysts across disciplinary boundaries; and university-school partnerships as interpretive communities and epistemological bridges where theoretical expertise integrates with implementation insights to collectively evaluate reform principles and develop context-appropriate adaptations. Implications for teacher education institutions and policymakers are discussed for enhancing ITE effectiveness during curricular transitions.