Sensemaking and sensegiving in schooling reform: South Korea and China

ABSTRACT

This article analyses and compares the motivations and (re)actions of the education authorities and parents in South Korea and mainland China towards schooling reform. The focus is on two policy initiatives – Free Semester Programme in South Korea and Comprehensive Practical Activity Curriculum in China. Applying the theoretical constructs of sensemaking and sensegiving, it is contended that the policy actors in both countries mutually influence each other in their calculated responses to prevailing educational challenges and policy measures. The examples of South Korea and China illuminate the power of resources, processes and meanings as an integral part of sensegiving and sensemaking.

KEYWORDS:

• China
• sensegiving
• sensemaking
• schooling reform
• South Korea

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCID

Charlene Tan http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5711-3749

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor change. This change do not impact the academic content of the article.