How has China’s “Double Reduction” policy transformed educational management practices in public primary schools, and what challenges and adaptations have emerged during implementation?

1.Your central question is how the “Double Reduction” policy has transformed public primary school management and what challenges/adaptations have emerged. Keep returning to this question to ensure each section directly relates to it.2.Follow a logical academic structure (Introduction → Literature Review → Methodology → Findings → Discussion → Conclusion), ensuring smooth transitions between section3.Don’t just summarize existing literature—compare perspectives, highlight gaps (e.g., lack of focus on management practices), and explain how your research fills those gaps.4.Clearly explain sampling, interview questions, scope of document analysis, and rationale, so the study can be replicated.5.In the Findings section, present data without over-interpreting. In the Discussion section, interpret results in light of literature and theory.6.Chen, L., & Lin, S. (2024). “Double Reduction Policy under Quality Assurance: Empirical Evidence from After‐School Service Implementation in 7 Provinces.” ECNU Review of Education.

1. 系统分析全国重点城市课后服务落实的覆盖率、家长满意度(97.3%),教师负担增加(90%以上),城乡资源差距明显等问题。该文可用于说明政策初期成效与实际问题的具体数据支撑。
2. Pang, X., Xue, H., & Xiao, F. (2025). “The Impact of the Double Reduction Policy on Student Participation in Off‐Campus Training and Family Education Expenditure.” Journal of East China Normal University (Education Sciences Edition), 43(1), 17–36. 运用 PSM‐DID 实证方法检验“双减”实施后家长在学科类补习上的支出与参与显著下降(中低 SES 家庭)。课堂任务、家庭负担与地方教育管理协同的空间值得进一步挖掘。
3. Zeng, Y. (2025). “A Review of Empirical Studies of the Effects of the Double Reduction Policy.” Science Insights Education Frontiers, 27(2), 4517–4531. 文献综述型文章,梳理政策对学生发展、家长焦虑、教师工时等三大维度的影响,并提出关键治理难点。适合作为你的理论背景与研究空白呈现部分参考。
4. Tian, S. S. (2024). “The Implementation of the Double Reduction Policy in Compulsory Education.”(原文标题可能略有差异) 选取乡村K市小学进行质性访谈,分析基层学校教学组织与管理机制如何“弯道超车”实施政策,凸显基层异地适配和教师主观能动性。可作为“学校管理改革路径”引用。
5. Liu, M. (2025). “How do China’s National‐Level Teacher Leaders Perceive Instructional Leadership?” Frontline Journal of Educational Leadership。(或相似期刊) 研究了国家级名校长如何解读“双减”语境下的课程与课后管理,是理解教育行政与学校中层之间适应机制的窗口。
6. Fang, Y. (2023). “Research on the Improvement and Evaluation of Primary Education Quality under the Background of Double Reduction.” Education and Art Development. 针对小学教学质量、作业设计机制和家校协作提出改进策略,可为你的“教育管理实务建议”提供前沿视角。
7. Dai, K. (2023). “Quantifying the Effect of the ‘Double Reduction’ Policy in China on the Education Industry.” International Review of Economics & Management. 从宏观层面量化分析政策对课外机构的压制作用、学生培训小时大幅下降、不同行业反应差异,为理解政策实施后的外部压力提供实证基础。
8. Xie, Y., Davies, M., & Smith, J. (2024). “Enacting Fairly or Fearfully? Unpacking the Enactment of Critical Thinking Policies in Chinese Senior High Schools.” Education Sciences, 14(11), Article 1157. 虽研究对象为高中“批判性思维政策”,但其以 Ball 的政策 enactment 理论为框架,分析教师、领导与校情之间的相互理解与权力协商,非常适合你“interpretivist”下的理论铺垫。
9. Weng, J. (2024). “How Can Policy Enactment Help Us to Understand the Influence of the Implementation of ‘Double Reduction’ Policy on Chinese School Teachers in Compulsory Education?” Creative Education, 15, 1210–1222. 已明确以 Ball et al. 的政策实施理论分析“双减”过程中教师角色与多层语境互动,是理论基础与研究视角最贴近的典型案例。兼含 interpretivist 视角与政策文本分析。
10. Ball, S. J. et al. (2012). How Schools Do Policy: Policy Enactments in Secondary Schools. Taylor & Francis. Ball 的这一经典著作(Weng 2024 引用)适合作为推动你研究“政策如何在学校内部落地”的主理论背景。

7.Interview Guide Design Rationale

The semi-structured interview guide was developed to align closely with the central research question: How has China’s “Double Reduction” policy transformed educational management practices in public primary schools, and what challenges and adaptations have emerged during implementation? The questions were designed to elicit detailed insights into the changes in school operations, leadership practices, teacher coordination, and institutional adjustments, while also capturing perceived challenges and effective coping strategies.

The guide is divided into five thematic sections:

1. Background Information – to contextualise participants’ roles and responsibilities within the school.
2. Understanding of the Policy – to assess participants’ interpretations and awareness of the “Double Reduction” policy.
3. Changes in Educational Management – to identify specific modifications in teaching arrangements, after-school programmes, governance structures, and staff coordination.
4. Challenges and Adaptations – to explore obstacles faced during implementation and strategies adopted in response.
5. Reflections and Suggestions – to gather participants’ evaluations of the policy’s impact and recommendations for improvement.

The semi-structured format allows for flexibility, enabling the interviewer to probe further into areas of interest while ensuring all key topics are covered. Questions are formulated to avoid politically sensitive issues, focusing strictly on educational management practices to minimise risk and adhere to ethical guidelines. All interviews will be conducted with informed consent, ensuring anonymity and confidentiality to protect participants’ privacy.

8.Dissertation Title: Changes in Educational Management and Implementation Challenges under China’s “Double Reduction” Policy in Public Primary Schools

Objective:

Please help me improve the structure, logic, and academic writing of my dissertation while retaining my original research framework and central research question. Ensure the work meets the academic and formatting requirements for a Master’s dissertation.

Key Focus Areas:

1. Alignment with Research Question: Ensure all sections directly address how the “Double Reduction” policy has changed educational management practices and the challenges/adaptations during implementation. Avoid digressions into student performance trends or political commentary.
2. Strengthening the Literature Review: Go beyond summarising existing studies — compare perspectives, highlight the lack of focus on management practices, and clearly identify the originality of this study.
3. Detailed Methodology: Clearly state sampling criteria, interview guide, and data analysis method (e.g., thematic analysis), and emphasise minimal risk and confidentiality in the ethics section.
4. Data-Analysis Consistency: Ensure that interview data directly supports the themes in the Findings section, and that the Discussion interprets these themes in light of existing literature.
5. Targeted Conclusions and Recommendations: Make recommendations specific to policymakers and school leaders, avoiding overly general statements.

Technical and Formatting Requirements:

• Check paragraph transitions and logical flow; each paragraph should start with a topic sentence and end with a mini-conclusion.
• Use required reference format (APA/Harvard); translate Chinese author names and titles for the English reference list.
• Label interview quotes as “Participant + number” and maintain consistency in both Chinese and English versions.
• Avoid colloquial language, maintain academic tone, and ensure tense consistency (past tense for background, present/future tense for conclusions).