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Educational reform has long been shaped by a cyclical pattern of tightening and loosening control-an oscillation between the managerial impulse to standardize and the professional need for autonomy. The book explores how this dynamic unfolds across different educational contexts, with a particular focus on the United States and China.
List of contents
Introduction: Rethinking Education System in the Age of Data
PART I The Myth and Ceremony: Loose Coupling in Educational Organizations
1 Spinning Wheels: The Cyclic Nature of Educational Reform in Misaligned Systems
2 A Paradigm Debate: Loose or Tight Coupling Across Educational Organizations
PART II The Collision of Managerialism and Professionalism
3 Hearts Versus Charts: The Managerial Dilemma of Social-Emotional Learning in China
4 Measuring Mission: The Managerial Dilemma in NCLB's Data-Driven Era
5 Crafting Professionalism: A Contemporary and Future Outlook on Teacher Profession
PART III Data: The Epicenter of Managerialism and Professionalism6 Weaving with Data: Professional Approaches to Recoupling Educational Organizations
7 Number Numb-ers to Sense-makers: Professional Sensemaking in Educational Organizations
Epilogue: Reimagining Schools as Learning Hubs in the Age of AI
About the author
Xingyuan Gao is an associate professor at the Department of Education, East China Normal University. Dr. Gao's academic endeavors cover a wide array of educational topics, with a particular emphasis on school reform under emerging themes such as social and emotional learning (SEL) and data-informed decisionmaking. His scholarship integrates leadership theory, educational policy analysis, and the utilization of technologies within K-12 education systems. Gao's prolific contributions to academic literature include 25 journal articles and 4 book chapters, alongside active engagement with the academic community through presentations at national conferences dedicated to K-12 educational leadership.
