On the evening of May 7, 2026, Professor Ren Shijiang, Distinguished Professor of Tianjin Normal University, delivered a special lecture entitled Issues in World History Teaching at Normal Universities for teachers and students of South China Normal University. Hosted by Professor Zhang Qinghai from the School of History and Culture, the lecture delved into the current state of world history teaching in normal universities, the disconnect between university and secondary school teaching, deficiencies in textbook compilation, and approaches to teaching improvement. It aimed to offer insights for enhancing the quality of world history teaching at normal universities and supporting the professional development of student teachers.

Drawing on his decades of experience in history teaching and textbook compilation, Professor Ren pointed out the core problems plaguing world history education in normal universities. While secondary school world history teaching promptly incorporates new academic research findings with clear practical orientation, the corresponding teaching in normal universities lags noticeably behind. Out of line with the demands of secondary school teaching, existing textbooks also fail to embody the characteristics of teacher education. He stressed that exploring historical truths and renewing historical interpretations lie at the heart of historical studies, which should be prioritized in training history teachers, so as to help student teachers improve their professional competence and adapt to secondary school teaching requirements.

Professor Ren reviewed the evolution of world history textbooks in China. He noted that normal universities generally adopt textbooks designed for comprehensive universities, deviating from their fundamental mission of cultivating secondary school history teachers. Such textbooks lack practical historical details tailored for classroom teaching and cannot provide sufficient instructional support for student teachers. He also identified two major drawbacks: the shortage of professional teachers and insufficient attention paid to secondary school teaching. Accordingly, he suggested compiling exclusive textbooks featuring teacher education characteristics, enriching them with practical historical details and teaching methodology guidance, and focusing on fostering student teachers’ ability to translate academic knowledge into classroom practice.

During the session, Professor Ren engaged in lively interactions with the audience. He responded to questions from student teachers regarding lesson preparation and academic learning with real cases and practical solutions. He also encouraged them to delve deeply into their majors, accumulate knowledge meticulously, and strive to become outstanding history teachers qualified for secondary education. At the end of the lecture, Host Professor Zhang delivered closing remarks and expressed gratitude. He commented that the lecture pinpointed key problems in teaching and provided valuable ideas for teaching and learning, which is of great guiding significance for advancing the reform of world history teaching in normal universities and upgrading the professional literacy of student teachers.