Exploring Whole-Person Education Reform From Principals Perspective on High-Stakes Testing

Abstract

Whole-person education is undeniable and indispensable for student benevolence and lifelong building. However, the high test score is the central issue in Chinese education. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative inquiry is to explore the high-test score issue by analyzing principals’ experiences in advocating the whole-person education in leading the school reform in China. A total of 12 participants of principals (N = 12) were employed in this study. There are six female (N = 6) and six male (N = 6) principals from the six private (N = 6) and public (N = 6) schools in Beijing through semi-structural and open-ended interview protocols. This study found that principals face three major challenges, including (1) high test score causes distrust, unfairness, and separation between school stakeholders, (2) high test score causes academic pressure, and (3) high test score limits student competency and educators’ academic freedom. This study found that principals use three major strategies to form a school reform and student development, including (1) communication for whole-person education, (2) correlation between the whole-person education and student individual career plan, and (3) pathway from high school to college through cooperation project. Finally, the proposed study of using a basic qualitative research inquiry through semi-structural and open-ended interviewing with a total of 60 participants, including principals (N = 12), teachers (N = 12), parents (N = 12), students (N = 12), and superintendents (N = 12), would be employed to investigate what challenges the schools face, how the schools should be, and what strategies should implement for lifelong student learning, suggested.