Constructing a competency model for family education guidance among rural teachers in ethnic minority border regions: a grounded theory approach

Rural families residing in ethnic minority border regions require precisely targeted family education guidance, and a professionally trained teaching workforce constitutes a critical prerequisite for the successful implementation of school-based family education guidance services. Employing a qualitative research paradigm grounded in constructivist epistemology, this study investigates the competency structure underlying family education guidance among rural teachers operating within ethnic minority border regions. Utilizing grounded theory methodology, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 25 teachers and subsequently analyzed through a rigorous three-level coding procedure. The findings reveal that the family education guidance competency of rural teachers in ethnic minority border regions comprises five interconnected core categories: (1) knowledge and professional competency, (2) communication and interaction competency, (3) cross-cultural and multilingual competency, (4) guidance and motivation competency, and (5) psychological support and management competency. These competencies demonstrate significant interrelationships, collectively forming a comprehensive family education guidance competency model specifically tailored to rural teachers in ethnic minority border regions. The theoretical model developed in this study effectively addresses the distinctive educational environment characteristic of ethnic minority border regions, responds to the specialized needs of rural teachers engaged in family education guidance, and provides both theoretical foundations and practical guidance for enhancing teachers' family education guidance competency in these underserved contexts.