A Critical Examination of the Current State and Future Directions of Educational Reform in China

• In Event: Reforming Education at Scale: Bureaucratic Structures, Policy Ambitions, and Systemic Constraints in Comparative Perspective

Proposal

From a historical perspective, the evolution of educational reform has followed a dialectical, spiral-like trajectory, with Philip W. Jackson's proposed imitation model and change model alternating as dominant paradigms at different historical stages. Therefore, this study uses Philip's teaching concepts as a framework to deeply explore the transformative context, current challenges, and future directions of China's educational transformation.
Against the backdrop of profound changes in China's social landscape, traditional teaching concepts and emerging educational theories intertwine to shape the practical forms of classroom teaching in China, giving rise to two typical educational models: the traditional classroom teaching model centered on knowledge transmission, and the project-based inquiry teaching model oriented toward skill development. These two forms correspond to the two opposing yet complementary teaching concepts proposed by Philip W. Jackson in the 1980s: the Mimetic Mode and the Transformative Mode. These two teaching forms have a long evolutionary history, traceable back to ancient Greece. As such, the transformation of teaching paradigms is essentially a diachronic, cyclical evolutionary process.
Therefore, future transformations in teaching paradigms require a historical and dialectical perspective, one that acknowledges the inevitability of change while also recognizing the extremist tendencies that must be avoided during the process, thereby providing a theoretical framework for reflective practice in teaching. In the current era of rapid change, faced with a social context characterized by uncertainty and complexity, the construction of teaching forms in China is confronting multiple theoretical and practical challenges, reflecting the entrenched nature of the imitative mode and the difficulties in transitioning to the transformative mode. From a theoretical perspective, the transformation of teaching forms is constrained by three cognitive challenges: a functionalist orientation toward teaching objectives, a dualistic orientation toward teaching concepts, and a instrumentalist orientation toward teaching practices.
This study argues that future teaching form reforms should, on the basis of reaffirming educational objectives, reconceptualize teaching philosophies, thereby transforming the underlying logic of teaching practices, and ultimately aiming at the deep restructuring and effective generation of teaching forms. First, at the theoretical level, education philosophy should be used as a foundation to promote the ethical reconstruction of educational objectives; at the practical level, the influence of “measurement culture” and “evidence-basedism” in school education evaluation should be weakened. Second, in practice, educators need to break free from the traditional cognitive frameworks centered on knowledge and ability, actively explore pathways to integrate and balance the two, and guide teaching reform practices from the perspective of conceptual reconstruction, thereby achieving the construction and development of high-quality teaching forms. Third, future-oriented teaching reforms must transcend the previous piecemeal approach to change, achieving a comprehensive transformative transformation of teaching forms through the participation of multiple stakeholders.
The study concludes that the transformation of teaching models in China is not only crucial for pedagogical advancement but also integral to the broader project of social reconciliation and peace-building. The persistent tension between the mimetic and transformative modes reflects deeper ideological and structural divides that resonate in societies worldwide. Moving forward, China’s educational reforms must strive to harmonize these dualities—embracing both knowledge transmission and critical capacity-building, both rooted cultural values and global pedagogical innovations. By fostering classrooms that prioritize dialogue, empathy, interdisciplinary inquiry, and ethical reasoning, China can contribute to an education system that not nurtures learners’ holistic development but also acts as a catalyst for social cohesion and peace. It is our hope that this analysis encourages further cross-national dialogue, cooperative research, and policy learning toward education that serves as a foundation for a more just, inclusive, and harmonious world.

References
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[2] Sato, M. (2016). The pedagogy of learning (L. Yu, Trans.). Educational Science Press. (Original work published 2016)
[3] Ge, W., Han, X., & He, J. (2019). Values, theories and applications of online learning assessment technology. Modern Distance Education Research, *31*(6), 52–60.
[4] Jackson, P. W. (1986). The practice of teaching. Teachers College Press.
[5] Benner, D. (2006). General pedagogy: A systematic and problem-historical introduction to the basic structures of educational thought and action (Z. Peng, X. Xu, & K. Zhang, Trans.). East China Normal University Press. (Original work published 2001)
[6] Wang, J. (2023). Reform and system construction of classroom teaching methods in basic education in China. Curriculum, Teaching Material and Method, *43*(3), 47–55.

Authors

• Shuting Sun, Department of Education，East China Normal University

• Li Heng