ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 aims to describe the start of SLC (School as Learning Community) reform in Taiwan, how it changes teachers’ concepts of teaching and learning, and hence triggers teacher autonomy. Due to democratisation and globalisation, the education system in Taiwan has been largely reformed since the 1990s. These top-down education reforms were originally purported to transform pedagogical practices and school culture from rote learning to more constructivistic approaches in teaching, but researchers have proved that teachers have become even more knowledge-centred and show passive attitudes towards school reform. In 2010, the 12-Year Basic Education policy was declared to begin in 2014: namely, examinations will not be the decisive factor for school entrance throughout primary to upper secondary levels. Entrance examinations have exerted huge pressure on pupils, teachers, and parents in Taiwan. However, because of such radical reform to reduce the burden of entrance examinations, many teachers have begun to more deeply think about the meaning of ‘learning’. In 2011, the concept of SLC, which emphasizes the importance of new ways of learning in the 21st century, was introduced. SLC received great attention among schools and teachers, and implementation in every area was soon observed in Taiwan. In this chapter, first the author will discuss teachers’ changes of attitudes facing education system reforms as well as SLC. Second, she will analyse the reasons and the characteristics of philosophical changes among teachers evoked by SLC. Third, this chapter will discuss the influence on schools and the government by teachers’ supportive attitudes of SLC.
