Why Legalizing Educational Reform Might Not Work? A Critical Analysis for Reconceptualization

• In Event: 52.085 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: 52.085-4 - Accountability Policies at the Local, State, and National Levels

Abstract

Large-scale educational reforms aim at achieving a fundamental paradigm shift in how the society considers educational ideas, values, and goals, challenging conventional beliefs systems and practices. However, the ways that the reform is framed and carried out might not help the desirable social transformation as their goals set to achieve. This paper examines a national legal ban passed in 2006 in Taiwan that aims to end school corporal punishment. Based on the analysis on teacher narratives, field observation and collected documents, we argued the underlying assumptions for the concepts of “corporal punishment”, “legalizing reform”, and “social transformation” might need to be reframed in order to promote further deeper social transformation. We proposed perspectives for reconceptualization.

Authors

• Wen-Ting Chung, University of Pittsburgh

• Sarah K. Brem, Arizona State University