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'The Art of Being Governed': Unravelling Teachers' Agency in Reconciling Academic Burden within China's High-Stakes Exam System

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Title: 'The Art of Being Governed': Unravelling Teachers' Agency in Reconciling Academic Burden within China's High-Stakes Exam System
Language: English
Authors: Yuchen Wu (ORCID 0009-0002-9257-7183), Jocelyn L. N. Wong (ORCID 0000-0002-2408-2616), Huan Song (ORCID 0000-0001-6053-6972), Shenji Zhou (ORCID 0000-0002-8641-8285)
Source: European Journal of Education. 2025 60(4).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 10
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, High Stakes Tests, Testing Problems, Social Problems, Student Welfare, Stress Variables, Professional Autonomy, Teaching Methods, Learner Engagement, Student Participation, Educational Change, Change Strategies, Educational Improvement, Educational Policy, Stress Management
Geographic Terms: China
DOI: 10.1111/ejed.70317
ISSN: 0141-8211
1465-3435
Abstract: The excessive academic burden that undermines students' well-being has become a matter of global concern. Drawing on Archer's social realist theory, this qualitative case study identified three forms of teacher agency in navigating academic burden under the 'Double Reduction' policy: methodological refinement that rendered the workload more engaging and sustainable; epistemological reconfiguration that transformed burden through recognition and inclusive participation; and ontological reconstruction that reframed burden as an opportunity for deep intellectual inquiry. Teachers emerged as culturally embedded, reflexive agents who reconciled institutional pressures with moral commitments. This agency challenges the compliance-resistance binary and emphasises the importance of teacher-informed, context-sensitive policy design.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1490485
Database: ERIC
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  Data: 'The Art of Being Governed': Unravelling Teachers' Agency in Reconciling Academic Burden within China's High-Stakes Exam System
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yuchen+Wu%22">Yuchen Wu</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9257-7183">0009-0002-9257-7183</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jocelyn+L%2E+N%2E+Wong%22">Jocelyn L. N. Wong</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2408-2616">0000-0002-2408-2616</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Huan+Song%22">Huan Song</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6053-6972">0000-0001-6053-6972</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shenji+Zhou%22">Shenji Zhou</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8641-8285">0000-0002-8641-8285</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22European+Journal+of+Education%22"><i>European Journal of Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 60(4).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1111/ejed.70317
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  Data: The excessive academic burden that undermines students' well-being has become a matter of global concern. Drawing on Archer's social realist theory, this qualitative case study identified three forms of teacher agency in navigating academic burden under the 'Double Reduction' policy: methodological refinement that rendered the workload more engaging and sustainable; epistemological reconfiguration that transformed burden through recognition and inclusive participation; and ontological reconstruction that reframed burden as an opportunity for deep intellectual inquiry. Teachers emerged as culturally embedded, reflexive agents who reconciled institutional pressures with moral commitments. This agency challenges the compliance-resistance binary and emphasises the importance of teacher-informed, context-sensitive policy design.
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: High Stakes Tests
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      – SubjectFull: China
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