"Fitness for Purpose": How the Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs Influences the View on Teacher Education Curricular Quality

The view on teacher education curricular quality plays a leading role in the teacher education curriculum. The kind of view on the teacher education curricular quality determines the kind of teacher education curriculum. The view on teacher education curricular quality in China used to be " knowledge-based". Although helpful for normal students to consolidate their theoretical knowledge of education and teaching, it seldom considers the educational practice of normal students and thus fails to adapt to the development of elementary education. The implementation of teacher education program accreditation promotes the development of teacher education curriculum quality toward "fitness for purpose". Guided by this view, the standards for evaluating teacher education curricular quality and their practical application will change accordingly. Based on the relevant official documents of teacher education program accreditation, this research explores the potential shift of the view on teacher education curricular quality from being "knowledge-based" to "fitness for purpose" and its practical implications.