Creativity and Education in China ─ Paradox and Possibilities for an Era of Accountability

Education and Accountability in China analyses the staggering effects that China’s single-minded focus on accountability has had on the creativity and critical thinking skills of its students. By examining this phenomenon within the context of an increasingly competitive and globalized educational landscape, it provides researchers in other countries with a dynamic portrait of a country that has at turns served as both a cautionary tale and a successful example to emulate. Discourse-based and research-driven, it discusses the role of China’s high-stakes, policy-oriented culture in fostering a testing-dominated education system, describes those examples of creativity that do exist, and reflects on how to encourage creative, diverse perspectives in education around the world.

Carol A. Mullen is Professor of Educational Leadership and Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment (ISCE) Scholar at Virginia Tech. She is also a current U.S. Fulbright Scholar.