School Overview

 The School of Education (Normal School) was established in July 2016 through the merger of the former Normal School and the Department of Physical Education. The original Dongguan Normal School, founded in 1932, carries a legacy of over 90 years of educational excellence. The Department of Physical Education began offering undergraduate programs in 2003.

The School of Education (Normal School) consists of the Department of Education, the Department of Music and Dance, the Department of Physical Education, a Division of General Physical Education, and a Center for Practical Physical Education. The Department of Education includes teaching and research sections for Teacher Education, Chinese Language Education, Educational Practice and Training, and College Student Mental Health. The Department of Music and Dance comprises sections for Piano, Instrumental Music, Dance, Vocal Music, and Art Theory. The Department of Physical Education is organized into sections for Major Ball Games, Minor Ball Games, and Comprehensive Sports.

The School currently offers five undergraduate programs: Primary Education (Normal Program), Chinese Language and Literature (Normal Program), Musicology (Normal Program), Dance Choreography, and Social Sports Guidance and Management. The Primary Education program includes a specialization in Mathematics.

The School actively fosters domestic and international collaboration，maintaining long-term academic exchanges with a number of universities around the world. Regular academic exchange activities are conducted to enhance scholarly engagement and global perspectives.

With a strong emphasis on educational excellence, the School pursues continuous innovation in teaching and research. It is dedicated to nurturing education professionals who embody a strong sense of responsibility, a passion for learning, a drive for innovation, and the integration of theory and practice. Through these efforts, the School is building a dynamic and forward-thinking academic institution with distinctive strengths and a commitment to educational advancement.

Faculty Members

The faculty is home to a faculty team with diverse academic backgrounds and broad scholarly vision. It currently has 103 faculty and staff members, including 3 professors (one of whom is a nationally recognized high-level talent) and 19 associate professors. Among them, 24 hold doctoral degrees and 57 hold master’s degrees. The faculty also includes 2 nationally certified Mandarin Proficiency Testers and 31 athletes of various levels of national and international titles.

Teaching Facilities

The School is equipped with state-of-the-art classrooms and sports venues that fully meet the demands of teaching, competitions, and other academic and extracurricular activities.

Arts Building & Liberal Arts Building

Facilities include one Nanfeng Lecture Hall, six micro-teaching classrooms, one comprehensive training room, two smart classrooms, three theory classrooms, one art studio, one calligraphy room, and one resource library (stocked with 3,495 specialized books, 21 journal titles, and 3,900 audiovisual resources). The faculty also hosts a mandarin training and testing center.

Music facilities include one concert hall, two digital piano labs, one computer music studio, five instrumental rehearsal rooms, one choir and conducting room, one percussion room, 43 student piano practice rooms, and 10 faculty piano rooms, equipped with a total of 86 pianos.

Teaching and Sports Facilities

Songshan Lake Campus:

At the Songshan Lake Campus, extensive sports facilities are available to support physical education and student well-being.

Indoor facilities: One gymnasium (featuring one basketball court and ten badminton courts), one table tennis room, one martial arts room, two aerobics rooms, two fitness rooms, one billiards room, and one student physical fitness testing laboratory.

Outdoor facilities: Two standard 400-meter athletics tracks, two full-sized football fields, one five-a-side football field, two standard swimming pools, 28 basketball courts, four volleyball courts, eight badminton courts, nine pickleball courts, and six tennis courts.

Guancheng Campus:

The Guancheng Campus also provides a comprehensive range of sports facilities.

Indoor facilities: One table tennis room, one fitness room, one billiards room, one multi-purpose physical education room, and one student physical fitness testing lab.

Outdoor facilities: One standard 400-meter athletics track, one full-sized football field, one standard swimming pool, eight basketball courts, two volleyball courts, six badminton courts, and one tennis court.

Program Highlights

Primary Education (Normal Program)

Recognized as a Provincial First-Class undergraduate program and has passed the Level II Professional Accreditation for Teacher Education conducted by the Ministry of Education. The curriculum is designed in accordance with national teacher education accreditation standards and focuses on cultivating application-oriented and innovative talents rooted in Dongguan and serving the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. A cross-disciplinary curriculum structure supports comprehensive student development. The program has established a provincial-level off-campus teaching base with local high-quality primary schools to bridge educational theory and practical training. This distinctive approach—highlighting the integration of application and innovation—has earned strong recognition from employers. The program has maintained an employment rate of over 99% for consecutive years.

Chinese Language and Literature (Normal Program)

This program is firmly rooted in teacher training, emphasizing both pedagogical orientation and practical training.It is designed to cultivate high-quality Chinese language teachers for primary and secondary schools, with a regional focus on Dongguan and the  Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The program aims to build a responsive and future-oriented educational system that meets the evolving demands of basic education in the new era.

In alignment with national accreditation standards for teacher education, the program adheres to the principles of student-centered learning, practice-oriented instruction, and lifelong development. Theory courses are streamlined, and practice courses are strengthened. Teaching methodology courses are systematically integrated, and students engage in innovative and entrepreneurial activities to develop problem-solving skills. In recent years, admission scores have shown a steady upward trend, and the program’s graduates are in high demand, receiving consistent praise from employers.

Musicology (Normal Program)

The Musicology (Normal Program) adheres to the national educational and cultural policies, upholding the principles of moral education, unity of knowledge and action, and talent cultivation rooted in Dongguan and oriented toward the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It is designed to meet the evolving needs of both basic education reform and the music organizations. The program aims to cultivate high-caliber music educators with strong awareness, professional ethics, artistic literacy, and solid teaching and research competencies. The program integrates practice-based courses with real performance opportunities, links graduation theses with dedicated music performances, and offers diverse extracurricular activities to enhance interdisciplinary competencies. Students participate in various ensemble and choir activities with distinctive artistic styles, extending classroom learning into community and public performance settings. These experiences foster a well-rounded skill set, enabling students to develop both specialized expertise and interdisciplinary competencies.

In recent years, the majority of graduates have pursued careers in music education and arts administration, with many becoming core members of their professional communities.

Dance Choreography

This program aims to cultivate innovative and application-oriented talents with a strong sense of responsibility, a capacity for lifelong learning, and the ability to meet the cultural and artistic development needs of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The curriculum focuses on a well-structured system of artistic practice courses, complemented by rich stage performance opportunities. It fosters both "fusion capability"—the ability to synthesize theory and practice across multiple disciplines—and "connective capability"—the ability to link and apply artistic knowledge across diverse fields. Graduates are equipped to work in education, cultural institutions, performing arts organizations, communities, and public service sectors, engaging in choreography, performance, event organization, arts education, and cultural management. The program aims to develop high-caliber, interdisciplinary professionals for the cultural and creative industries.

Social Sports Guidance and Management

This program upholds the philosophy of moral education and practical learning, with the goal of developing innovative, application-oriented sports professionals who possess a strong foundation in public sports, interdisciplinary competence, and a deep sense of social responsibility.

Graduates are expected to demonstrate professional versatility ("one specialty, multiple skills") and are well-prepared for roles in organizing public fitness activities, managing sports enterprises, teaching physical education across educational stages, and guiding community health and fitness initiatives. They are equipped with strong adaptability, learning ability, and humanistic awareness.

In alignment with national strategies for fitness promotion, regional integration in the Greater Bay Area, and the development of New Liberal Arts, the program is meticulously designed to integrate talent development goals, educational philosophy, and curriculum structure. It prepares students to serve the growing regional sports market as modern, culturally informed professionals capable of working across education, public service, and the sports industry.

The School of Education (Normal School) is embracing a new era of growth and transformation. With a renewed vision, the School is vigorously enhancing faculty development, improving education quality, advancing reform and promoting academic research. It is committed to building a vibrant and forward-looking institution distinguished by its innovation, excellence, and unique educational character.