Curriculum Innovation in East Asian Schools

Book excerpt: Following closely behind the global pandemic’s recent forced challenges to schools and teachers, Xu gives an overview of how educational researchers and schools in Asia respond to challenges in times of change. Her research focuses on how they adjust or change curriculum policy and practice to find a balance between developing innovation in response to fast-changing societal needs and maintaining the existing education systems that traditionally predict success for students. In this book, curriculum innovation is documented in three themes: 21st-century skills and competency-based curriculum, technology-supported curriculum and equity in curriculum. Xu includes three types of chapters: (1) case studies that provide detailed analyses of curriculum innovation at the school or country level, (2) conceptual analyses that deepen our understanding of curriculum issues using a new lens and (3) literature reviews that provide an overview of research in particular topics. The volume will be of great interest to researchers and educators interested in the role of curriculum innovation in times of change. In particular, it focuses on the ways innovative curriculum provides opportunities for individual students to maximize their potential while also acknowledging the constraints of local education systems.