Educational reforms in the Asia-Pacific region: Trends, challenges and research

This paper analyzes trends and challenges in recent educational reform and development in the Asia-Pacific region and explores related implications for educational research. There are numerous educational reforms in nearly all countries in the region as they respond to challenges of globalization, information technology, knowledge-based economy, and rapid societal development. Some main trends, identified from findings and observations from regional reports and policy documents, include establishing new national visions and education goals, restructuring education systems at different levels, and enhancing teacher quality and continuous life-long professional development of teachers and principals. Crucial issues that challenge the success of policy formulation and reform implementation are discussed. Implications for educational research of these issues and policy analysis will also be treated. An overarching framework of policy research and analysis is proposed with the goal of establishing a comprehensive knowledge base that can cover the whole policy life cycle to support continuous development and improvement of education initiatives at different levels. It is hoped that this paper will open a wide range of issues and implications for policy debate and research on educational reforms in the Asia-Pacific region and other parts of the world.