Many of today’s education systems have a strong focus on examination and academic performance, sometimes to the detriment of the well-being of teachers, students, and families. Over the past 20 years at New Education Initiative (NEI), we have learned that the key to lifelong learning is helping students find intrinsic motivation and joy in learning.
I founded NEI with a goal to improve education equity and bring change to the teaching-to-test culture in China. NEI’s methods bridge the gap between education theory and practice by refining teaching techniques based on research. Anchored on improving reading, writing, and communication, we work to gradually change how teachers approach professional development and how students learn — including fostering a positive learning environment at home. These boost both student and teacher motivation and improve learning outcomes.
Since the beginning, NEI has continued to explore what constitutes effective teaching and better education to achieve well-being in both learning and life, encouraging deep learning through the exploration of students’ interests and passions. Some 8,300 schools, with over 500,000 teachers and 8 million students, have adopted the NEI approaches as their educational practice across China — many in rural and remote areas. By bringing a learner’s whole community together, NEI transforms home environments into positive learning spaces and fosters a collaborative approach to learning. Teachers, students and families work together toward clear learning goals, deepening education outcomes beyond a focus on teaching-to-test and examinations.
NEI has developed a tested model to make learning enjoyable, creating a supportive environment for teachers, learners, and parents. The landscape of primary and secondary education is starting to change, and I believe that our new approaches to educating our children will prove to be a constructive force in making our country a better place.
Core to NEI’s model are the following ideas:
1. Strengthen teachers’ development and foster a supportive community
NEI’s “Teacher Growth Model” builds a supportive community of educators, ensuring rural teachers feel connected and valued, fostering their leadership skills, and helping them find fulfillment within their careers. The program connects teachers to the latest academic research through reading lists, resources, and online platforms. Teachers are encouraged to read, reflect, write, and share their experiences with each other. Through a collective learning experience, the program helps alleviate teacher burnout, preventing rural teachers from feeling isolated and undervalued.
2. Enrich learners’ experience beyond classroom and foster a growth mindset
Our commitment to supporting learners beyond schools is reflected in our extended school libraries initiative. These libraries offer on-campus and after-school learning resources tailored to children of different ages. By combining these resources with innovative teaching and learning techniques, NEI creates an environment that fosters a growth mindset and encourages students to read. This approach not only enhances students’ reading skills but also boosts their learning motivation, contributing to their overall academic outcomes.
3. Support parents’ role as a child’s first and most important teachers
Parents and caregivers play a crucial role in transforming homes into positive environments where families read, learn, and grow together, bridging students’ learning in school and after school. This collaborative approach of working together toward clear learning goals encourages a deepening of educational outcomes beyond a focus on teaching to-test and examinations. Resources for parents are also accessible through online platforms like Weibo and WeChat, which have gained a strong following from Chinese families.
An empirical study has proved NEI programs are a cost-effective approach to improve the well-being of students and teachers. The same study also shows that our methods can improve teaching quality, reduce bullying in schools, build a stronger sense of belonging, and achieve better academic performance among students. In schools where NEI’s programs are implemented, student performance in reading and mathematics is stronger than those from peer schools.
In April 2023, the New Teacher Foundation at Soochow University (Suzhou) announced a new rural teacher development program with the support of Yidan Prize project funds. The New Teacher Foundation will initially comprise five key programs, which will build the skills of rural teachers to improve the quality of education; provide quality teacher training courses for undergraduate students; provide professional development programs for educators, including school principals and teachers from rural and urban areas; create an online learning platform for teachers across China; and facilitate cross-country learning and exchanges.
With the support of partners such as the Yidan Prize Foundation, we are able to expand our programs, enhance learning outcomes among students, and improve the well-being of teachers, students, and families. Together, we are building pathways to joyful and lifelong learning.
The author is founder of the New Education Initiative, a professor of School of Education at Soochow University, and the 2022 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.