Navigating Education Reform: Understanding China's Double Reduction Policy in Practice Through Stephen Ball’s Policy Circle

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Abstract

This study investigates the implementation and impact of China's Double Reduction Policy (DRP) within a Western province in China. Utilising an embedded case study design, the research analyses national and local policy documents, alongside fieldwork data from three junior high schools and policymakers through Stephen Ball’s Theory of Policy Circle. Findings indicate that despite DRP’s stated goals of alleviating students’ academic burden and promoting holistic education, entrenched meritocratic values, a rigid exam-oriented system, and pronounced socioeconomic disparities have led to superficial compliance rather than fundamental transformative change. The study underscores how policy intentions are reconfigured by complex local dynamics, significantly impacting educational equity.

Author

• Sini Wu, University of Manchester