提高教师专业水平

You will mostly see this phrase used as a target or a result. You can say a school is doing something 'in order to' (为了) improve this level. Or you can say a specific training 'successfully' (成功地) improved it. It is a chunky, formal phrase, so it usually sits at the end of a sentence or as a heading in a report. You don't usually 'chat' this over a casual bubble tea, but you definitely use it when talking about career growth.

Use this in any setting related to the 'business' of education. If you are at a staff meeting, this is your golden phrase. If you are writing a resume for a teaching job, include this to show you care about growth. It is also perfect for parent-teacher conferences when discussing how the school supports its staff. If you are a student, you might hear your principal use it during an assembly speech.

Do not use this for personal hobbies. If your friend is getting better at guitar, don't use 教师 (teacher) or this specific phrase. It sounds way too robotic for a casual compliment. Also, avoid using it to describe a student's progress. Students have 学习水平 (learning levels), not 教师专业水平. Using it in a bar or at a party might make people think you are still at work!

China has a deep-rooted respect for education, often called the 'Centennial Plan' (百年大计). Teachers are viewed as the 'engineers of the human soul.' Because the stakes are so high (think of the Gaokao exam), there is immense pressure for teachers to be perfect. Improving their 'professional level' is seen as a moral duty to the students and the nation's future. It is a point of national pride.

You might hear 提升教学能力 (tīshēng jiàoxué nénglì), which focuses more on 'ability.' Another one is 加强师资力量 (jiāqiáng shīzī lìliàng), which means strengthening the overall teaching force. 专业发展 (zhuānyè fāzhǎn) is the more modern, westernized term for 'professional development.' However, the phrase 提高教师专业水平 remains the classic, most recognized way to state this goal in official documents.