The futures of agency
Exploring the liminal spaces between action and responsibility
26 October 2023 (Thursday), 11:15-13:00, cowork

Development of a Foresight Indicator Framework for the Futures of Chinese Schools and a Description of Its Contents

Over the past decade, the futures of school construction has gained significant attention in China, with differing opinions on its definition and evaluation. Some emphasize intelligent technology, while others prioritize higher-order thinking, interdisciplinary learning, and project-based approaches. However, unclear understanding has led to misguided and wasteful constructions. In response, we've studied futures of school evaluation frameworks for two years, exploring the logic, components, and tools involved. The Chinese Academy of Education Sciences released two frameworks in 2016 and 2018, which focused on educational informatization and 21st-century skills but overlooked the interdependence of teaching and learning and the complex nature of schools as organizational systems. Our analysis identified key elements in futures of school evaluation framework, including long-term goals, necessary conditions, and futures literacy of stakeholders.We established a comprehensive framework with ten elements, 50 secondary indicators, and 103 tertiary indicators. Our evaluation process involves surveys, Causal Layer Analysis, future studies workshops, futures scenario analysis, and SWOT analysis. We conducted studies in Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Chengdu to validate the feasibility of these tools. While our framework provides a comprehensive evaluation, it is complex, time-consuming, and requires expertise.

Associate Director
Basic Education Reform and Development, East China Normal University
Associate Professor
Department of Education,East China Normal University
Research Fellow
Institute of Basic Education Reform and Development, East China Normal University