Lessons from Chinese Education Models in a Global Age Chuing Prudence Chou & Jonathan Spangler Department of Education, National Chengchi University May 2016

Overview Part I: When Past Meets Future Part II: When East Meets West Part III: When Theory Meets Practice Part IV: Conclusion 27 authors from ~9 countries

Inspirations: Why did we come up with this book? China’s rise Economic, political, cultural, demographic Achievement in East Asian countries International assessments (PISA, TIMSS, etc.) Entrepreneurship and business Increasing attention and controversy Scholarly debate Mainstream media Lack of integrated efforts on the topic Books mentioning “China’s rise”, 1950–2008

Aims: What did we hope to accomplish? Create a platform for debate Encourage a broader understanding of “Chinese” Promote author diversity and inclusivity Inspire authors and readers to consider the notion of a “Chinese education model” from multiple perspectives Serve as a foundation for future research

Challenges: What does the word ‘Chinese’ mean? Different interpretations: Geographical Historical Cultural Ethnic Source: greaterpacificcapital.com

Challenges: Model or models? Is there a single, monolithic “Chinese education model”? Past research has suggested this, causing confusion and inviting criticism Is “Chinese education models” more accurate? How diverse are these models and what factors create this diversity? Geography – Shanghai? Xinjiang? Taipei? Sydney? Toronto? Singapore? History – Cultural revolution? Japanese occupation? Information age? Type – Primary, secondary, or higher education? Offline or online? Students attend gym class outside St. Therese Chinese Catholic School in Chicago’s Chinatown. Source: chicagojournal.com

Challenges: How can it all tie together? How can diverse research topics/methods be integrated into a cohesive book? Focus on a specific question: How does the topic of your chapter represent a “Chinese education model” (or models)? Structure into four main parts: Part I: When Past Meets Future Part II: When East Meets West Part III: When Theory Meets Practice Part IV: Conclusion

Lessons: Building a framework How can we build a theoretical framework for understanding “Chinese education models”?

Lessons: Attributes Chinese education models can be understood in terms of their dynamism, hybridity, and heterogeneity.

Lessons: Dynamism Chinese education models are dynamic, changing over time. Fig Timeline of education model development stages in mainland China since the mid-1800s (Source: Jonathan Spangler)

Lessons: Hybridity Chinese education models are hybrids, influenced by other education models. Fig Timeline of education model development stages in mainland China since the mid-1800s (Source: Jonathan Spangler)

Lessons: Heterogeneity Chinese education models are heterogeneous, being manifested in many different ways in different contexts. Geographic region (country, urban/rural) Discipline (math, foreign languages) Institution type and level (university/kindergarten, public/private)

Lessons: Elements Chinese education models are made up of norms, institutions, and individuals. Each of these affect one another. Fig Elements of Chinese education models (Source: Jonathan Spangler)

Lessons: Norms (1/2) Chinese education models are made up of norms, which can relate to: Society Teaching and parenting Learning Many studies focus on norms related to education. Some examples include…

Lessons: Norms (2/2) Society Social mobility Individual development National development Meritocracy Collectivism and family and social cohesion Filial piety and deference to authority High societal and extended family expectations High regard for education Teaching/Parenting “Ideal” teacher: Authority figure Exceptionally competent bearer of knowledge Model citizen “Ideal” parent Emphasis on academic excellence at all costs Learning Emphasis on hard work, persistence, and effort over abilities Focus on memorization, repetition, and drilling for knowledge acquisition High levels of resource investment and sacrifice Parental engagement and supervision Supplementary education Risk-aversion Many of these have Confucian or other historical origins.

Lessons: Institutions Chinese education models are made up of institutions, which are: Governmental Business Educational These institutions promote the norms that collectively define Chinese education models.

Lessons: Individuals Chinese education models are made up of individuals, which include: Teachers Students Like institutions, these individuals promote the norms that collectively define Chinese education models.

Next Steps: Where can future researchers go from here? Many aspects of Chinese education models are yet to be sufficiently researched, especially because these models dynamic (changing over time) and heterogeneous (varying by context). Academic / Applied Quantitative / Qualitative Action Program evaluation Subjects: individuals, institutions, pedagogies, policies, behaviors, norms, …

Thank you. Your questions and comments are welcome. Chuing Prudence Chou Professor, Department of Education, National Chengchi University Jonathan Spangler Doctoral Fellow, Institute of European and American Studies, Academia Sinica

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