ABSTRACT
Among the Confucian classics is an ancient text, Xueji 學記 (Record of Teaching and Learning) that sets forth a Confucian school model. The Xueji was originally part of a Confucian text, Liji 禮記 (Book of Rites). The Xueji is the only work in the Confucian canon - and one of the earliest in the world - that is devoted to teaching and learning. The school mentioned in the Xueji was probably the imperial academy that existed prior to the Qin dynasty or during the Han dynasty. This chapter compares the school model described in the Xueji with a contemporary school model known as a “School as a Learning Organisation” (SLO). My aim is to explore how a Confucian school model could inform our understanding of a learning school today. A Confucian school reflects a communitarian model of a SLO and comprises the following: a shared vision; learning-centred curriculum, pedagogy and assessment; and a culture of collaboration and inquiry.
