Systematic Review of Professional Development Strategies for Young University Teachers’ Teaching Competence (2021–2025): Implications for Application-Oriented Institutions in China

Abstract

Young university teachers play an important role in teaching, curriculum development, and talent cultivation, but many are still at an early career stage and lack sufficient teaching experience. This issue is more evident in application-oriented institutions, where teachers are expected not only to deliver classroom teaching but also to connect teaching with practical training and industry needs. This study systematically reviews professional development strategies for young university teachers’ teaching competence from 2021 to 2025 and discusses their implications for application-oriented institutions in China. Based on the PRISMA framework, studies published between 2021 and 2025 were searched in Scopus and CNKI. After identification, screening, eligibility assessment, and quality appraisal, 23 studies were included for analysis. The findings show four main development paths. First, teacher development is shifting from one-time training to structured and staged systems supported by institutional policies. Second, mentoring, peer collaboration, teaching communities, and organizational support are becoming important for young teachers’ growth. Third, teaching competitions, open classes, curriculum reform, and other real teaching tasks help teachers improve through practice and feedback. Fourth, university–industry collaboration strengthens practical teaching competence by connecting classroom teaching with industry needs. Overall, young teacher development is more effective when training, mentoring, practice, evaluation, and industry engagement work together as a continuous system. For application-oriented institutions, teacher development should move beyond short-term training and focus on long-term, practice-based, and collaborative support. These findings provide practical implications for improving young teacher development and supporting applied talent cultivation.