About ICI
Established in 1999, the Institute of Curriculum and Instruction (ICI), at the East China Normal University, Shanghai, is a nationally renowned research institute and think tank designated by the Ministry of Education (MoE), China. The ICI focuses on research projects and activities related to curriculum development and policies, instructional design, curriculum evaluation and policy analysis, and teachers’ professional development.
The ICI conducts research and receives funding locally, nationally, and globally. Selected ongoing research projects include “Evaluation of the Implementation of Curriculum and Instruction in China”, “Renovating Professional Development System in China”, “Curriculum Integration based on Core Competencies”, and “Historically Inquiry to Curriculum Reform in China”. Since the establishment of the Institute, our researchers published more than 1300 journal articles, 200 books, and 2252 monographs, won 45 awards of different kinds, and successfully applied for 165 research projects. The total amount of research funding reached over 40 million RMB. The ICI also initiated the database of “Investigation of Curriculum and Instruction in China”. The ICI issues the journal of Global Education (abstracted and indexed in CSSCI) and holds a book series (in English) of “Curriculum Reform and School Innovation in China” with Springer.
During the past two decades, ICI has been the primary research institute that pioneers and promotes the nationwide curriculum reform. ICI Initiated and drafted “the Guideline of National K-12 Curriculum Reform” (Announced in 2001), “National Curriculum Standard of Teacher Education” (Announced in 2011) and currently work on the new “National Curriculum Standard of High School Education” (Initiated in 2014). The ICI also serves actively for policymaking and school innovation in a variety of school districts and non-profit educational organizations in cities such as Shanghai, Zhengzhou, Nanjing, Chongqing, Changzhou, Tianjin, and Hangzhou. The institute-based training center provides professional development sessions for more than 124 cohorts and 6000 teacher coaches, excellent teachers, and principals in China.
The ICI brings together a research faculty of 19 members. Professor CUI Yunhuo serves as the director and Professor ZHONG Qiquan serves as the honorary director. Professor KE Zheng, YANG Xiangdong, and AN Guiqing serves as the associate director. Professor ZHONG Qiquan, a prominent scholar of Curriculum and Instruction in China, is member of the MoE Academy of Social Sciences. Professor CUI Yunhuo is the vice president of the Chinese Curriculum Academic Council. Nine faculties serve in the MoE Council of K-12 Curriculum and Textbook. Several members of our faculty are selected by a variety of fellowships such as “the New-Century Elites by the MoE”, “Eastern Scholar of Shanghai”, and “Shuguang Scholar of Shanghai.”
Graduate Study with top university scholars at the master’s and doctoral levels prepares educators and researchers working in different levels of education systems.
A wide range of courses offer opportunities to build a broad and deep understanding of the issues related to curriculum, instructions, professional development and evaluation in our education system. More than 100 doctoral students, 200 master’s students, 10 international students graduated from the ICI in last 18 years. Three students received National Dissertation Award and 13 students received awards for their thesis and dissertations from Shanghai City. About 40 students received governmental funding and studied abroad during their master’s and doctoral study.
The Shanghai International Curriculum Forum (usually first week of each November ) aims to promote research of curriculum and instruction and invite internationally and nationally renowned scholars and outstanding practitioners to conversation. The Huaxia Curriculum Lectures Series focuses attention on topics related to curriculum design, curriculum sociology, instructional innovation, measurement and evaluation, and policy analysis. The Shanghai Curriculum Roundtable Series allows small group conversations and interactions about projects and publications related to curriculum, instruction, and professional development. William Pinar, Lee Shulman, James A. Banks, Patricia Gandara, Michael Young, Andrew Porter, Kit-tai Hau, and Sato Manabu are among scholars who have made presentations in the Forums, lectures, and roundtable series.
International conversation and cooperation is particularly of interest to the ICI related to the redesign of curriculum and instruction, professional development, and evaluation. The ICI has developed cooperation and relationships with several international organizations such as UNESCO, OECD, ASCD, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and research institutes from a variety of countries such as United States, Australia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Singapore, Japan, and Korea. Scholars in our institute also engage actively in the international associations such as the American Educational Research Association and The International Society of the Learning Sciences.
Mission of the ICI is to promote theoretical development in curriculum through innovative thinking, support curriculum-related policymaking through research and consulting, and to improve curriculum practices through intellectual communication and sharing. The ICI is now on its way to becoming an open, creative, and international academic institute that works as a think tank and talent source for Chinese government as well as the backbone of China’s curriculum research in the international context.