Enacting Fairly or Fearfully? Unpacking the Enactment of Critical Thinking Policies in Chinese Senior High Schools
This study explores the enactment of critical thinking policies in Chinese senior high schools through the lens of Ball et al.’s policy enactment theory and within the broader context of Chinese education reform aimed at enhancing students’ thinking abilities. Employing a case study methodology with...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/14/11/1157 |
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| author | Yan Xie Maree Davies Joanna Smith |
| author_facet | Yan Xie Maree Davies Joanna Smith |
| author_sort | Yan Xie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study explores the enactment of critical thinking policies in Chinese senior high schools through the lens of Ball et al.’s policy enactment theory and within the broader context of Chinese education reform aimed at enhancing students’ thinking abilities. Employing a case study methodology with diverse data types, the research assessed current school-level practices and the effectiveness of Ball et al.’s framework in capturing interactions among objective contexts, policy actors, and cultural artefacts. Findings indicate that the framework captures these complexities when the policy is actively enacted. In one school, a systematic enactment mechanism facilitated diverse policy roles and external connections, thereby promoting schoolwide critical thinking development; however, another school exhibited fragmented practices due to the lack of key policy roles, despite students’ interest in deeper engagement. Challenges were also identified, including deficiencies in the mid-level education bureau and conflicts between a collective-oriented educational paradigm and the promotion of independent thinking. The study unravelled the nuances of the enactment of critical thinking policies in Chinese senior high schools. Future research could test the framework’s applicability for guiding the construction of policy mechanisms across different settings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3160e750bb1246e4afcd69a7fdbe3fbd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-3160e750bb1246e4afcd69a7fdbe3fbd2024-11-26T18:01:09ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022024-10-011411115710.3390/educsci14111157Enacting Fairly or Fearfully? Unpacking the Enactment of Critical Thinking Policies in Chinese Senior High SchoolsYan Xie0Maree Davies1Joanna Smith2Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New ZealandFaculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New ZealandFaculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New ZealandThis study explores the enactment of critical thinking policies in Chinese senior high schools through the lens of Ball et al.’s policy enactment theory and within the broader context of Chinese education reform aimed at enhancing students’ thinking abilities. Employing a case study methodology with diverse data types, the research assessed current school-level practices and the effectiveness of Ball et al.’s framework in capturing interactions among objective contexts, policy actors, and cultural artefacts. Findings indicate that the framework captures these complexities when the policy is actively enacted. In one school, a systematic enactment mechanism facilitated diverse policy roles and external connections, thereby promoting schoolwide critical thinking development; however, another school exhibited fragmented practices due to the lack of key policy roles, despite students’ interest in deeper engagement. Challenges were also identified, including deficiencies in the mid-level education bureau and conflicts between a collective-oriented educational paradigm and the promotion of independent thinking. The study unravelled the nuances of the enactment of critical thinking policies in Chinese senior high schools. Future research could test the framework’s applicability for guiding the construction of policy mechanisms across different settings.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/14/11/1157policy enactmentStephen J. Ballcritical thinkingChinese context |
| spellingShingle | Yan Xie Maree Davies Joanna Smith Enacting Fairly or Fearfully? Unpacking the Enactment of Critical Thinking Policies in Chinese Senior High Schools Education Sciences policy enactment Stephen J. Ball critical thinking Chinese context |
| title | Enacting Fairly or Fearfully? Unpacking the Enactment of Critical Thinking Policies in Chinese Senior High Schools |
| title_full | Enacting Fairly or Fearfully? Unpacking the Enactment of Critical Thinking Policies in Chinese Senior High Schools |
| title_fullStr | Enacting Fairly or Fearfully? Unpacking the Enactment of Critical Thinking Policies in Chinese Senior High Schools |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enacting Fairly or Fearfully? Unpacking the Enactment of Critical Thinking Policies in Chinese Senior High Schools |
| title_short | Enacting Fairly or Fearfully? Unpacking the Enactment of Critical Thinking Policies in Chinese Senior High Schools |
| title_sort | enacting fairly or fearfully unpacking the enactment of critical thinking policies in chinese senior high schools |
| topic | policy enactment Stephen J. Ball critical thinking Chinese context |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/14/11/1157 |
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