Abstract

The main purpose of this article is to discuss the professional growth strategies for vocational high school teachers in the era of the knowledge-based economy (KBE). In the era of the KBE, vocational high school teachers cannot just play their traditional roles, but should take part in knowledge management and innovation. In order to facilitate professional growth, vocational high school teachers must play multiple roles as lifelong learners, action researchers, knowledge producers, and persons who share knowledge with others. There are three aspects to be addressed in the professional growth for the vocational high school teachers when the teachers face the challenge in the era of the KBE: school, society and the individual. In a systematic view, a vocational high school must provide the teachers with all kinds of job-training opportunities, construct a complete instructional system by means of implementation of knowledge management, and build the campus culture of organizational learning and professional growth. The community and enterprises need to offer probable connection strategies such as interaction, alliance, coordination and partnership for vocational high school teachers to develop proper curriculums to meet society needs. Besides, it is very helpful to facilitate curriculum implementation, and accumulate and disseminate knowledge if they cooperate and share with other organizations. The vocational high school teachers should play multiple roles such as curriculum developers, action researchers, knowledge producers, teaching innovators, and lifelong learners. They need to develop curriculums by collecting all kinds of up to date information and use computer technology effectively to study, analyze, innovate, and solve problems when teaching. They also need to provide the teaching content which incorporates creative thinking, and share their experiences with others.