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Free Sample Personal Statement in Education
The genesis of my intense interest in education, an interest which
has now evolved into an aspiration and a pursuit for a career in the
field, happened during my undergraduate studies. A Basic Training
Program delivered by the graduates from Yale University (as part of an
exchange program) changed my understanding of education and, together
with it, the course of my life. Those graduate students were young,
vigorous, and highly intelligent, demonstrating impressive teaching
expertise. In particular, I was fascinated by their original and unique
teaching methodology. I came to realize that education should be
dominated by advanced concepts, assisted by effective teaching
strategies, both of which are vitally important for bringing out a
greater social role from education. Education represents for me a field
in which I can achieve satisfying personal development.
Out of my love of teaching and with distinguished undergraduate
performance, I chose to work, upon graduation, as a teacher at the
Department of English of Wuhan University, the most prestigious
university in Central China. In my teaching practice, I attach
significant importance to modifying the monotonous conventional English
teaching strategies widely employed by the generation of my teachers. I
introduced original English movies, classroom debates, mini-plays and
other forms of teaching into my classroom to change the conventional
passivity in the students' acquisition of English knowledge. In
addition, I endeavor to gain insights into the student' learning
psychology from in-class and off-class communications with them so as to
bring something new for each lesson. Frankly, I should attribute all my
creativities to the enlightenments that I received from the Basic
Training Program and from the self-study of many Western works on
education that I read under the influence of the Program.
Out of my four-year teaching career, I have developed a heartfelt love
for this profession. For my professional dedication and for my
innovative teaching, I have been awarded a succession of honors that
endow me with a strong sense of pride and achievement. Those honors
include highest prizes for many pedagogical contests of young teachers
at the municipal and provincial level. My research results are embodied
in the publication of a series of English textbooks like An Introductory
Course of English Grammar for College Students and Reading, Writing and
Translation Skills for Students of English Majors. I participated in the
construction of the "Question Database of National Band IV English
Proficiency Test of College Students Majoring in English" and have been
invited to mark the English test papers of the National University
Entrance Examination and the National Band IV & VI English Proficiency
Test of College Students Majoring in English. In addition, I was
responsible for organizing the First English Speech Contest for College
Students of Hubei Province and the participants from my university won
second prize under my direction.
Nevertheless, as I delve deeper into my work, I have become increasingly
aware that the status quo of Chinese education has much to be desired.
The relatively backward education concepts and teaching methodologies
have made it inevitable that Chinese education as a whole remains out of
pace with the overall international education development. On the macro
level, the existing Chinese education theories fall behind those of the
United States. Although Internet education has made considerable headway
in China, it essentially remains another form of test-oriented education
instead of becoming the true Internet education in the Western sense. On
the personal level, I have encountered some practical problems in my
teaching experience and although I can find ready solutions to some of
them by consulting relevant works by Western educators, I am convinced
that the most serious problems can be worked out only via a more
systematic study program. Under such circumstances, to pursue an
advanced degree in education becomes a necessary condition for me if I
were to seek further, more fruitful breakthroughs in my future teaching
career and in my research in educational methodology.
In the rapidly developing 21st century, conventional mode of education,
like most other aspects of social life, has come under great impact in
terms of its concepts and its strategies. The pursuit for higher levels
of educational development has largely transformed the educational value
orientation of the general public. The educational model that is
centered on the cognitive and intellectual instruction has been
seriously questioned. Greater attention has been devoted to the
cultivation of well-developed personality and to the ontological status
of the individual in education. Such issues as the internal studies of
education science, scientific decision-making in education, and
meta-education have also been increasingly emphasized upon. There have
also been innovations in educational research methodology. The tendency
has been to combine modern technology with humanistic research
categories and with naturalistic research categories, and to organically
integrate qualitative descriptions with quantitative descriptions. It is
also important to carry out educational experimentations in which
educational predictions are complemented by educational feedbacks. Both
the complexity of education and the complexity of human individuals have
made the comprehensive application of diverse educational approaches
necessary. Those new horizons are what fascinate me.
The reason why I apply for the University of Massachusetts at Amberst is
that it is the first state university with a time-honored history. The
School of Education in this university is quite prominent among its
counterparts in the field. I am particularly attracted by the School's
powerful pedagogical resource, vibrant intellectual atmosphere and a
comprehensive curriculum. I plan to apply for a degree program in
Instructional Technology or Educational Psychology, both of which enjoy
unparalleled academic reputation in the world. My application for
Instructional Technology is motivated by my strong interest in the
application of modern science and technology, especially the information
technology represented by the Internet, in the field of education and in
the nature of a series of revolutionary changes resulting thereof.
Instructional Technology is a new discipline that has emerged as a
result of the rapid development of modern communication technology since
the late 20th century. It has tremendous potential for development and
commercial application.
As for my motive in selecting Educational Psychology as another possible
area of specialization in my degree program, it is my long-cherished
interest that primarily counts. On the other hand, all the accomplished
educators since the 1960's have been well-versed in psychology. Almost
every important new educational theory is derived psychological findings
in one way or another so that educational psychology has subsequently
developed into a fundamental subject for the science of education. The
tendency in the 21st century is to emphasize on the micro research of
educational activities and against this backdrop educational psychology
will be attached greater importance. In Instructional Technology, I
would like to focus on the following studies: how to improve educational
efficiency by applying research results from natural sciences and
engineering technology; how to explore the combination and coordination
of pedagogical contents and to improve teaching methodology by
exploiting the theoretical findings from psychology and educational
science concerning the process of teaching and learning. In Educational
Psychology, I will concentrate on applied cognition and development,
creative education, personality structure and individual differences and
other related subjects.
For me, to pursue an advanced degree in education in the United States
is not so much a challenge as an opportunity. At present, major reforms
are being introduced into virtually every important aspect of Chinese
society. The field of education especially calls for comprehensive
reforms. The United States occupies an absolutely leading position in
the present-day world in education. It is my conviction that, in the
United States, advanced educational theories, technologies and
information will facilitate me immensely in the achievement of
remarkable academic progress, fulfilling my aspiration to become an
accomplished professional in the field of education. This will not only
bring my patriotic fervor into reality but also make my life more
meaningful and rewarding.
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