Dilemmas and Optimization Strategies for the Professional Development of Higher Vocational College Teachers in Inner Mongolia from the Perspective of Educational Ecology

Background: The professional development of higher vocational college teachers is shaped not only by individual competence but also by the relationships among colleges, industry partners, policy systems, digital resources, and regional conditions. In Inner Mongolia, a useful analytical approach must account for both the common pressures of vocational education and the region’s diverse economic and geographic settings. Aim: This paper examines key dilemmas affecting teacher professional development and proposes an ecology-oriented framework for improvement. Methodology: It adopts a conceptual, literature-based analysis of the four Chinese studies supplied for this paper, supplemented by a contextual review of publicly available material on vocational education and teacher development in the region. It does not claim to report original survey or interview data. Findings: The analysis identifies five connected challenges: an insufficiently differentiated professional role, uneven access to authentic workplace learning, fragmented institutional support, a gap between digital tools and pedagogical application, and evaluation mechanisms that may privilege visible outputs over sustained growth. These challenges are interpreted through the ecological concepts of niche, interaction, limiting factors, and the “flowerpot effect.” Conclusion: Sustainable improvement requires coordinated action at teacher, college, industry, and regional-policy levels. The paper recommends differentiated development pathways, long-term school–enterprise learning communities, practice-oriented digital development, more supportive evaluation, and regionally responsive resource sharing. These proposals should be tested through empirical research in representative institutions across Inner Mongolia.