Practical Legal Education as Transformative Learning in China
Advancing SDG 4 and SDG 16
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21445406 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yunbo Li (0000-0001-7522-8198, Law School Yangzhou University Yangzhou China), LI Yun-bo (Yangzhou University), Yibo Jiang (0009-0005-7383-2865, The School of law University of Reading Berkshire UK), Huifang Zhang (0000-0002-3713-6951, Guangling College Yangzhou University Yangzhou China) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 60 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | European Journal of Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0141-8211 • E-ISSN: 1465-3435 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/ejed.70272 |
| OpenAlex | W4414631047 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 37 |
This article examines the global transformation of undergraduate legal education through the analytical lens of transformative learning theory, with a particular focus on how practice‐oriented reforms contribute to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 (Quality Education) and 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). Using China as a central case, the study analyses a series of landmark policy initiatives—the Outstanding Legal Professionals Education and Training Plan (2011), the Outstanding Rule‐of‐Law Professionals Education and Training Plan 2.0 (2018), the National Standards for Teaching Quality in Law Programmes (2021), and the Opinions on Strengthening Legal Education and Legal Theory Research in the New Era (2023). Case studies from Yangzhou University and Yantai University demonstrate how internships, legal clinics, moot courts, and structured collaborations with judicial institutions have reshaped pedagogy, moving legal education away from rote learning toward reflective, experiential, and ethically grounded models. To situate these reforms in a broader perspective, the article compares developments in China with experiences in the United States, Germany, and Finland. These comparative insights reveal different institutional pathways toward integrating practice‐based training: the U.S. emphasis on clinical education and structured reflection, Germany's apprenticeship model through the Referendariat , and Finland's student‐centred, problem‐based pedagogy. Despite variations, a common trajectory emerges in the convergence toward cultivating reflective practitioners equipped with professional competence, ethical awareness, and civic responsibility. By embedding experiential education into both national reforms and global debates on sustainable development, the study highlights how legal education can function as a lever for professional identity formation, institutional capacity‐building, and inclusive justice. In this sense, China's experience contributes to a comparative dialogue on how legal education systems worldwide can advance the SDGs through transformative learning
Apprenticeship · Comparative education · Empirical legal studies · Empowerment · Experiential learning · Higher education · Legal Education · Legal profession · Transformative learning · Comparative and International Law Studies · Legal Education and Practice Innovations
Sustainable Development Goals in Higher Education Institutions
The potential of transformative learning for sustainability transitions
Clinical programs, social justice and transformation through student learning
Becoming Global Lawyers
A conceptual validation of transformative learning theory
A Conversation with Dieter Grimm
Legal Education in China
| Highly cited | No |
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