Teachers' Understandings and Actions Toward China's New Curriculum Reforms in the Context of Examination-Oriented Education

• In Event: Poster Session 6
  In Poster Session: Turning Around Underperforming Schools: Unpacking the Role of Teachers, Schools, and Communities

Abstract

China’s exam-based education has tended to be a steadfast barrier to new official school reform efforts-“quality education” or, in Mandarin, suzhi jiaoyu. The conflict between the reform and traditional structure fits well within the framework offered by Bolman and Deal, including structural, human resource, and symbolic lenses for understanding. Through qualitative research methods, this case study examines beliefs and attitudes of a sample of 29 secondary school teachers in the Grace school in Sichuan for understanding challenges and meaning of the school reform implementation. The present empirical study reveals the tremendous power of social and organizational structures restricting classroom change. These include not only the power of high stakes entrance exams, but also the willingness and capacities of teachers.

Authors

• Jinyan Bai, The Pennsylvania State University

• Roger C. Shouse, The Pennsylvania State University