Session Information
WERA SES 02 B, World-Wide Perspectives on Management and Leadership in Education
Paper Session
Contribution
Both in China and England, ‘teacher professionalism’ and ‘school autonomy’ are emphasized in the process of education reform. In spite of the huge difference in education governance systems between the two countries, there are also some similarities in terms of policy technology and the goal of education reform.
Objectives
The objective of this study is to provide a comparative analysis of how teacher professionalism and school autonomy are implemented or limited by different approaches to education governance under very different political regime and social circumstance in China and England, and to provide a deeper understanding of the common trends and limitations of education governance in each country.
Questions
This study is organized around the following questions:
- What is the real meaning of ‘teacher professionalism’ and ‘school autonomy’ as policy rhetoric in each country’s education policy discursive context?
- What kinds of concrete education governance approach or mechanism are deployed to implement such goals in each societal context?
- What is the effect of the education governance approach or mechanism in each country?
- How might education governance be improved in both countries?
Theoretical Framework
This study will be carried out in the following aspects:
· Comparative study of education policy discourse context
‘Teacher professionalism’ and ‘school autonomy’ both are emphasized in the process of education governance reform in each country, but the concrete meaning may be varying according to the different discursive contexts. In England, evidence-based teaching has been emphasized, school-based teacher-training are preferred over institutes of education in universities, ‘professionals’ or ‘experts’ often refer to teachers with rich practical experience in schools rather than the education researchers with rich theory in universities, in contrast to the conditions in China. In England, ‘school autonomy’ has a wider meaning than in China.
· Comparative study of processes of education governance reform
China is traditionally a centralized country and has a unitary system with a long history. Education governance reforms usually take place inside the education administrative system, and have little connection with outside agencies or civil society. This is very different from England.
England is traditionally a liberal country. Under the neo-liberal ideology, the current system of education in England is beginning to resemble some aspects of the pre-1870 system of education. The distribution of responsibility for the solution of social problems is changing and now philanthropy and business are essential parts of the delivery and policy processes of education.
· Comparative study of systematic aspects of education governance reform
In China, politicians are calling for the realization of the modernization of its education governance system, and a shift from government to governance. The government hierarchical bureaucracy is over-powerful, and school autonomy is seriously limited. How to transform the government’s function, give more space for school autonomy, and encourage the third part or civil society to participate school-running, are the key problems to be solved.
In England, the current state of educational governance (involving both policy formation and service delivery), at national and local levels, is a complex and unstable and evolving mix of hierarchy, heterarchy, and market. Within this mix, heterarchy is increasingly important (Ball, 2013a).
· Comparative study of policy technologies/mechanisms
As a kind of global ‘policy epidemic’, accountability, performativity, or ‘governing by numbers’ have changed the landscape of education governance in each country. In England, they have brought about ‘controlled de-control’, and also have changed the meaning of ‘teacher professionalism’. In China, combining with the unlimited administrative power, they have brought about the overloading of teachers and school managers, and also have strengthened central or local control over professional affairs.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
References: Ball, S. J., & Junemann, C. (2011) Education Policy and Philanthropy—The Changing Landscape of English Educational Governance, International Journal of Public Administration, 34:10, 646-661. Ball, S. J. (2013a) The Education Debate (second edition), Bristol: The Policy Press. Ball, S. J. (2013b) Education, justice and democracy: The struggle over ignorance and opportunity http://classonline.org.uk/docs/2013_Policy_Paper_-_Education,_justice_and_democracy_(Stephen_Ball).pdf Mok, K. H., (2005) Riding over socialism and global capitalism: changing education governance and social policy paradigms in post-Mao China, Comparative Education, Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 217–242. Ozga, J., et al (2009) ECRP05: Governing by Numbers: data & education governance in Scotland & England: Full Research Report, ESRC End of Award Report, RES-000-23-1385. Swindon: ESRC. Ozga, J. (2011) Governing Narratives:“local” meanings and globalising education policy, Education Inquiry, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp.305–318. Whitty, G. (2002) Making sense of education policy, London: Paul Chapman. Whitty, G. (2006) Teacher professionalism in a new era, Paper presented at the first General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland Annual Lecture, Belfast, March 2006. Wu, K. N., (2013) What kind of societal support is needed for the comprehensive reform of education field, Educational Research and Experiment, No. 6. pp.1-5. Yang, D. P., (2013) Modernization of the government’s governance ability, Research in Educational Development, No. 23.
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