Description:
This paper discusses the change of educational governance by developing and using
a theory of policy instrumentality. It is based on the policy instruments approach in
political studies and on the cultural-historical activity theory. It is used to study the
relationships and changes of policy instruments and objectives of a major school
development program in Taiwan launched in 2007. The group in charge of the pro-
gram evaluated and changed both the objectives and instruments of the program in
2010. The direction of this transformation was from an approach based on competi-
tion and control towards an approach that emphasizes school autonomy, quality of
curriculum and collaboration and learning between schools. The paper distinguishes
three dimensions of policy instruments to analyze how the new orientation became
embedded in the instruments used in the program implementation. The paper further
suggests that policy learning can be analyzed in terms of remediation, that is, collec-
tive redesign of the system of instruments.
Published on: 24/11/2018
Published by: Hongda Lin & Reijo Miettinen
Language: English