The article provides an explicit philosophical basis of a 'learning school' by delineating a Daoist interpretation. A learning school is characterised by a student-centred vision, supportive leadership as well as a culture of collaboration and critical inquiry. With reference to the "Daodejing," this paper expounds on the saliency of the…

Teacher-directed learning is often perceived to be detrimental to student learning and incompatible with learner-centered approaches. This essay challenges this perception by referring to Freirean and Confucian insights. It is argued that Freire, Confucius, and Xunzi advocated the active involvement of the teacher in student learning through…

This article focuses on the application of Shulman's signature pedagogies for initial teacher education through the example of a pre-service course that promotes "multidimensional thinking skills" in Singapore. Multidimensional thinking emphasizes the thought processes, attitudes and abilities needed to address complex issues and…

This article compares the educational thought of John Dewey and Confucius on the nature of and relationship between subject matter and the learner. There is a common perception in the existing literature and discourse that Dewey advocates child- or learner-centred education whereas Confucius privileges subject matter via textual transmission.…

Against a backdrop of an international trend to shift from a teacher-centred to a learner-centred education, this article explores a Confucian conception of education. Focusing on an ancient Chinese text "Xueji" (Record of Learning), the essay examines its educational ideals and practices based on the principles of "choice",…

This article focuses on a major reform goal to advance a student-centric education in South Korea and the associated issues and challenges. This research study draws upon Wittgenstein's concept of world-picture that brings to the fore the cultural influences on policy enactment. Interview data with teachers and students in Korea revealed two main…

Background: This article critically discusses the key tensions and challenges arising from the educational policy borrowing in China, through its current education reform. Focussing on the new curriculum reform (NCR), the paper highlights the interactions and conflicts between foreign and local ideologies and practices. Sources of evidence: The…

This article analyses and compares the motivations and (re)actions of the education authorities and parents in South Korea and mainland China towards schooling reform. The focus is on two policy initiatives -- Free Semester Programme in South Korea and Comprehensive Practical Activity Curriculum in China. Applying the theoretical constructs of…