Autonomy in the Centralized Education: A Heuristic Method With Poetry-Integrated Data Interpretation Approach

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Innovative Practices in and Through the Arts

Abstract

The paper examines the realities of autonomy in the centralized education from the perspectives of school principals, teachers, and students using the metaphor images, pawns and origins in deCharm’s theory of need for school autonomy. I conduct phenomenological heuristic research on school autonomy in two Asian centralized institutional systems, Vietnam and China, by elaborating on my lived experiences and connecting with other colleagues’ narratives at Vietnamese and Chinese schools. Findings showcased in a poetic art form present the problems: teacher’s critical thinking ability, teaching methods, curriculum design, teacher involvement in policy-making, and the rigidity for institutional change.

Author

• NGUYEN HOANG GIANG-LE, Brock University