“Niches of possibility” and the development of student-centered learning in innovative schools in China

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 1:45 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Educational Leadership and Policy for Systemic Change

Abstract

How can schools in exam-based system with intense academic pressure develop more student-centered practices? This exploratory study addresses that question by documenting how eight innovative schools in China create room for more student-centered learning experiences. Site visits, document reviews and interviews revealed that these schools incorporated student-centered elements through elective classes, extracurricular programs, competitions, and project-based activities while maintaining traditional exam preparation. Drawing on an institutional and incremental perspective on educational change, these finding suggest the "niches of possibility" within the conventional Chinese curriculum and schedule where student-centered instruction could take off. Under these conditions, hybrids combining conventional, academically focused Eastern approaches and Western progressive pedagogies could create new, emergent possibilities for improvements in schooling that cannot yet be imagined.

Author

• Thomas C. Hatch, Teachers College, Columbia University