Wearing New Shoes to Walk the Old Road: The Negotiation of Opposing Imperatives in High School New Curriculum Classes in China

Sargent, Tanja; Chen, Mingyu; Wu, Yi-Jung; Chen, Chentong

doi:10.1108/s1479-3679(2011)0000015007

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…On the other hand, our findings in this study, as well as earlier research conducted in Gansu (Sargent, 2007a; 2007b; 2009, forthcoming), suggest that teaching and research activities are instrumental in the dissemination of educational innovations. Indeed, programs of teacher professional development and the role of teacher professional learning communities have been central to the government's strategy for the implementation of the New Curriculum reforms; the main aim of which is the transformation of teachers' teaching beliefs and practices (Sargent, 2007a, 2009, forthcoming). New Curriculum training sessions are frequently highly interactive affairs.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

“…An educational expert, sometimes from the county education bureau, might also share her thoughts and reflections on the lesson, and then all the other teachers in attendance will have the opportunity to share their critiques, suggestions, praise, questions or reflections with the demonstrating teacher and all those in attendance. Videos of New Curriculum demonstration lessons are also produced and these are available for schools across the nation to purchase and are watched and discussed during school-based teaching and research activities (Sargent, 2009). Joint lesson planning also seems to have become more important than ever in the context of the New Curriculum reforms as, in this period of uncertainty, teachers are encouraged to work together to support each other in devising new approaches to using textbook materials in their lessons.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Doing More With Less

Sargent

Hannum

2009

Journal of Teacher Education

115

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Teacher professional learning communities provide environments in which teachers engage in regular research and collaboration. They have been found effective as a means for connecting professional learning to the day-to-day realities faced by teachers in the classroom. In this paper, we draw on survey data collected in primary schools serving 71 villages in rural Gansu Province, as well as transcripts from in-depth interviews with 30 teachers. Our findings indicate that professional learning communities penetrate to some of China's most resource-constrained schools, but that their nature and development are shaped by institutional supports, principal leadership, and teachers' own initiative. II. IntroductionTeacher professional learning communities, or communities of practice, can be defined as environments in which teachers interact and collaborate regularly around issues of teaching and learning and engage in the production and consumption of knowledge about improved practices for student learning (Bullough, 2007;Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999;Henson, 2001;Vescio, Ross, & Adams, 2008;Wood, 2007). In the United States, participation in teacher professional learning communities has been shown to result in changes to teaching practices (Dunne, Nave, & Lewis, 2000;Englert & Tarrant, 1995;Hollins, McIntyre, Debose, Hollins, & Towner, 2004;Louis & Marks, 1998;Strahan, 2003). Other scholars have found that participation in professional learning communities has an impact on school professional culture and leads to increased involvement, ownership, innovation and leadership among teachers (Andrews & Lewis, 2002;Berry, Johnson, & Montgomery, 2005;Phillips, 2003;Supovitz & Christman, 2003). Professional learning communities have strengthened the connections between professional learning and the immediate needs of teachers (Berry et al., 2005;Bolan, McMahon, Stoll, Thomas, & Wallace, 2005). Evidence also suggests that teacher professional learning communities have resulted in improved student achievement (Berry et al., 2005;Bolam, McMahon, Stoll, Thomas, & Wallace, 2005;Hollins et al., 2004;Louis & Marks, 1998;Phillips, 2003;Strahan, 2003;Supovitz, 2002;Supovitz & Christman, 2003).1 Please direct all correspondence to Tanja Sargent, Educational Theory, Policy and Administration, Graduate School of Education, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 10 Seminary Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, Tel: 732-425-0063, tsargent@rci.rutgers.edu. NIH Public AccessAuthor Manuscript J Teach Educ. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 December 27. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author ManuscriptWhile there is growing support for the fostering of teacher professional learning communities in the current policy environment (Hargreaves, 2000), the culture of teaching in the United States has long been characterized by isolation (Lortie, 1975;Meyer & Rowan, 1978;Vescio et al., 2008;Weick, 1976). Scholars studying teacher professional practices around the world have noted the variation in the degree to w...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Doing More With Less

Sargent

Hannum

2009

Journal of Teacher Education

115

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“…The curriculum reform has entailed a shift from teacher-and text-centred to student-centred approaches to learning and teaching in which students participate actively, authentically and creatively in their own learning (Sargent et al, 2011). Hence, the primary role of teachers has shifted from conveyor of knowledge to facilitator of student learning, and school leaders need to move beyond monitoring school academic success to facilitating deeper learning through curriculum design (Yin, 2012).…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building and leading a learning culture among teachers

Qian¹,

Walker²,

Yang

2016

Educational Management Administration & Leadership

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A positive teacher learning culture is important to effect meaningful changes in schools. Literature has established that successful school leaders can build and nurture learning cultures among teachers. However, less is known about how school leaders can shape the culture and make learning conditions happen at the schools in the Chinese education context. This paper reports an in-depth qualitative case study of a primary school in Shanghai. Using data collected from the principal, vice principal, mid-level leaders and teachers, the study attempts to answer these two questions: how do the school leaders build and nurture a positive teacher learning culture, and how does this culture affect teachers' working lives?

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“…Other reforms, however, have been much less successful. For example, even after 15 or so years of heavy reforming aimed at improving "quality education"-generally defined as curriculum reform designed to foster creativity and practical skills-the net result has been one of very little change in schools (Ke, 2011;Sargent, Chen, Wu, & Chen, 2011). This seems because reforms run up against other reforms with contradictory aims and values thus causing multiple disconnections between policy intentions and the realities of schools and classrooms (Walker & Qian, 2012).…”

Section: The Policies and Reformsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Mysteries of School Success in Shanghai

Walker

Qian

2018

ECNU Review of Education

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Purpose-The purpose of the paper is to discuss some of the mysteries around the much-touted recent success of school education in China and to explore some of the key conditions that may underpin the success. Design/Approach/Methods-It is a conceptual paper. A wide range of available data and literature has been consulted and analyzed to carefully marshal arguments about how to understand the mysteries and the conditions underpinning the success. Findings-The paper discusses four mysteries around education success in China. It argues for the development of a fuller and more contextualized perspective to view the success. The paper further suggests that neither of the four general conditions for success-values, reform, leadership or teaching approaches-taken alone, can explain pathways to success. Originality/Value-The paper provides an original explanatory description of the mysteries of education success and underlying conditions. This paper helps fill a gap in Western understanding of the "why" and "how" of school success in China.

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Wearing New Shoes to Walk the Old Road: The Negotiation of Opposing Imperatives in High School New Curriculum Classes in China

Cited by 12 publications

References 11 publications

Doing More With Less

Doing More With Less

Building and leading a learning culture among teachers

Exploring the Mysteries of School Success in Shanghai

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