Abstract

Objective: This study aims to assess the public’s attention to “ethics for teachers” during the process of building ethics for teachers in China and to explore its temporal and spatial evolution characteristics and potential influencing factors, with the goal of providing reliable support for enhancing the level of ethics for teachers in the education sector. Methods: This research utilizes trend analysis, demand distribution, and demographic profiling based on Baidu Index to analyze the public’s attention to “ethics for teachers” from November 17, 2011, to November 17, 2024. Results: The public’s attention to “ethics for teachers” exhibits a regular pattern of change. In terms of time, the Baidu Index showed little variation from 2011 to 2016, maintaining a stable level; however, a significant increase began after 2017, with noticeable declines during winter and summer vacations, and an upward trend observed around Teacher’s Day and when the government issued relevant documents on “ethics for teachers.” Spatially, the attention to “ethics for teachers” is higher in provinces and cities in the eastern region compared to the slightly lower attention in the central and western regions. In terms of age and gender, individuals aged 20 to 39 constitute the primary audience, with female groups showing higher levels of attention than male groups. Additionally, a comparison of search indices between the keyword “ethics for teachers” and the related term “teachers’ ethics and manners” reveals that the public shows greater interest in the latter. Conclusion: The potential influencing factors for the public’s attention to “ethics for teachers” primarily include the series of relevant documents issued by the state, the implementation of “ethics for teachers” practices by various schools in accordance with their specific contexts, the specific “ethics for teachers” practices of teachers across different age groups, parents’ concern for ethics for teachers in their children’s schools, the practice of “ethics for teachers” among university students and graduates, as well as activities during winter and summer vacations and Teacher’s Day.

Keywords: Baidu Index, Ethics for teachers, Online interest, Search engine, Big data