Reshaping the Dual-Qualified Teaching Workforce through Art–Engineering Integration under Institutional Consolidation

Abstract

Institutional consolidation involves more than the redistribution of educational resources; it also requires the systematic reconstruction of teacher standards, competency structures, and professional-development mechanisms. Using the incorporation of Yiyang Senior Technical School into Hunan Arts and Crafts Vocational College as the practice setting, this study examines the challenges technical-school teachers face in adapting to higher-vocational qualification requirements, curriculum development, teaching and research, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. The analysis identifies three interrelated dimensions of teacher transformation—standards transition, competency reconstruction, and boundary restructuring—and develops five pathways centered on certification–education–position alignment, art–engineering–teaching collaboration, curriculum–research–industry linkage, competition–training–evaluation coupling, and master-teacher–team–mechanism coordination. Case evidence shows that 97 of 101 transferred full-time teachers (96%) were recognized as dual-qualified, while the excellent rate in student evaluations of teaching rose from 68% to 94.2%. These findings suggest that dual-qualified teacher development should move beyond credential compliance toward competency enhancement, organizational empowerment, and sustained industry–education collaboration, thereby building a durable ecosystem for professional growth.