Remaking a policy instrument in the educational field -Developing an ideal for school transformation Hongda Lin Center for Research on Activity Development and Learning University of Helsinki

Taiwanese school system and SAP program Diploma & test oriented schooling Most of schools and students are failed in terms of the ranking based on test result. Schooling choice increased educational resource gap between regions. Research field: A policy intervention in the form of competitive grant program – School Actualization Program(SAP) Started from 2006- Focuses on senior high school level(16-18 years old). Aims to equalize educational resource distribution by improving school quality . An expert group has been taking care of SAP since 2008, includes 8 professors from universities, 7 principals and 1 teacher from senior high schools, 2 public servants from the Ministry of Education.

Data selection for studying the development of an ideal Two SAP meetings, in which the direction of SAP program were revised in 2009. SAP implementation would be ended in 2010 according to its policy document, which would effect 147 senior high schools taking part in SAP. The Ministry of Education suggested a new program to replace SAP. Data Meeting on 29.06.2009 Meeting on 24.07.2009 Number of participant 17 14 Length 123 minutes 202 minutes Number of turn 49 96

Questions What was the original ideal of school transformation changed in these SAP group meetings in 2009? What instrumentality was developed to realize the ideal of school transformation?

A concept used to analyze the data The ideal, as the form of subjective activity , is only masterable through active operation with the object and product of this activity. ( Ilyenkov, 1977: 181) ? ? ? The ideal realized by individual

Concepts used to analyze the data Re-mastering an ideal by individuals in the context of collectively problem-solving.

The analysis framework The temporal dimension: Three phases adopted from the cycle of expansive learning ( Engeström, 1987: 322) Temporal dimension Reflections of the activity mediating artifacts Contradictions What artifacts were produced Question Analysis Modeling

A brief of the result from the 1st meeting Replace the original SAP with a new program cannot solve the problems in its implementation. A relation between the original SAP and the new program needs to be theorized.

Data analysis of the 2nd meeting Temporal dimension The reflection of the activity The mediating artifact The contradiction What artifacts were produced Question Select a model to implement the original SAP and the new program Possible relations between the original SAP and the new program Developing a working hypothesis and following routines . Meeting material: 4 proposed models . “Feature” used tentatively as the title of the new program . Three levels of schools A snapshot of the contradiction …We can put these proposed models into 2 types... The first one which combines two programs together is easier to go through the fiscal administrative unit… the second type separating the new policy program from original SAP, however, is more complicated… (Principal Wu)

Data analysis of the 2nd meeting Temporal dimension The reflection of the activity The mediating artifact The contradiction What artifacts were produced Analysis Explore possible ways of designing SAP by confrontation and concurrence Proposed models between the original SAP and the new program General education ideals in individuals and a specific object of SAP in the collective .Ideal object and utilitarian object of SAP . The purpose of SAP in 2006 . Tendency of MOE behavior . Assumption of policy map . Titles of the new program are buzzwords A snapshot of the produced artifacts I think that SAP actually has 2 objects – ideal object and utilitarian object. The ideal object is that we wish that a school can improve its quality by taking part in SAP; the utilitarian object on the other hand, saying that SAP itself is an instrument to reverse the pyramid structure of schooling dominated by star schools. This [confusion of objects] is the place we get stuck now… (Prof. Tzeng)

Data analysis of the 2nd meeting Temporal dimension The reflection of the activity The mediating artifact The contradiction What artifacts were produced Modeling Stabilize a relation between the original SAP and the new program Buzzwords: (e.g. feature, Focus Sustain, cultivate )   Substance of school development and Symbol of school development A stabilized instrumentality comprised signs (e.g. feature), and tools ( e.g. four axes about core tasks of schooling) A snapshot of the contradiction Professor Tom: I agree that the proposal E is meant to sustain, to help schools develop continuously…This is a concept we need to think. Maybe the title is not that important. Principal Wu: All due respect but…we have mentioned this word in the policy document since the last year...As a school principal, what I want mostly?.... Just let a school budget can be included when the MOE is budgeting….however it is impossible nowadays. To the comptroller, it is surely impossible. This money must be framed by the title already there.

Conclusion What ideal were developed in these meetings? The ideal of SAP is to support schools overcome their disadvantages for 3 years, and to assist them sustain school development if they have ideas of developing school quality. What caused the reestablishment of the SAP ideal in these two meetings? A group of tools and signs produced in these meetings– such as “proposed models” and “feature” – accounts for it; They were used to reflect the activity of SAP, and triggered out another contradictions driving the discussion forward to formulating the ideal of SAP as well.

Conclusion What instrumentality was developed to realize the ideal? A group of tools in the original SAP were reorganized to intervene schools: It is a complex of two 3-year stages for schools to overcome disadvantages and to develop school quality respectively. Schools in their first stage will receive funding, and interventional activities arranged in an annual schedule; After then schools are eligible to run the second stage, which requires school projects dealing with the core tasks of schooling regulated by SAP in its policy document. Next step Investigate how school adopted the instrumentality in their local contexts.

Thank you hongda.lin@helsinki.fi