Processes and Dynamics Behind Whole-School Reform

Nine-Year Journeys of Four Primary Schools

Bibliographic Data

ID8223404
AuthorsYuk Yung Li (Chinese University of Hong Kong, corresponding author)
Year2017
Volume54
Issue2
Pages279-324
Publication date2017-04-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Educational Research Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-8312 • E-ISSN: 1935-1011
PublisherAmerican Educational Research Association (AERA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.3102/0002831216689591
OpenAlexW2747442460
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited58

Despite decades of research, little is known about the dynamics of sustaining change in school reform and how the process of change unfolds. By tracing the nine-year reform journeys of four primary schools in Hong Kong (using multiyear interview, observational, and archival data), this study uncovers the micro-processes the schools experienced during their reform. New practices first took root in a group of pilot teachers before gradually disseminating to other teachers and eventually transforming the entire school. Challenges differed across the reform journey. Synergy between school leadership, external support, and organization redesign was critical for initial success. Continued progress depended on whether school leaders and external partners could adapt their roles and redesign the organization to address the school’s changing capacity and needs. The study reveals the long-term process of school reform and has crucial implications for policy, research, and practice

Dynamics (music · Observational study · Pedagogy · Political science · Process (computing · Public relations · Sociology · Collaborative Teaching and Inclusion · Educational Assessment and Improvement · Medicine · Public Administration · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

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