Hosted by Beijing Normal University (BNU) and the People’s Government of Fengtai District, and organized by BNU’s Center for Teacher Education Research and the Fengtai District Education Commission, the 5th Conference of School as Learning Community in China was held from March 27 to 29, 2024, in Beijing. The event brought together over 400 participants, including globally renowned scholars, policymakers, and frontline educators, to deliberate on advancing student-centered pedagogical reforms through evidence-based teaching research and collaborative learning models.

Conference Highlights

1. Keynote Speeches: Global Perspectives on Learning Communities

• Prof. Andy Hargreaves (Boston College) emphasized that innovation in education hinges on collective teacher leadership, advocating for systems built on solidarity, stability, and sensitivity.

• Prof. Manabu Sato (Tokyo University&Beijing Normal University) illustrated how Fengtai District’s schools operationalized learning communities by fostering student-driven inquiry, citing Kawaguchi High School’s success in blending tradition with modern pedagogical collaboration.

• Prof. Catherine Lewis (Northeastern University) addressed equity gaps, demonstrating how lesson-study approaches could revitalize math instruction for underserved students through actionable data reflection.

• Prof. Lynn Paine (Michigan State University) framed schools as "learning ecosystems", where teachers and students co-develop knowledge amid societal changes.

2. Parallel Forums: Localized Practices

Four thematic forums featured case studies from 10 project schools in Fengtai District, including Fengtai No. 8 High School and Caoxiao Primary School, focusing on:

• Governance optimization via teacher autonomy,

• Professional learning networks to reduce classroom isolation,

• Project-based curriculum redesign, and

• Future-ready school models integrating AI and collaborative pedagogy.

3. School Visits: Classroom Observations & Critical Dialogue

Delegates observed 9 demonstration lessons across four schools, with post-class discussions dissecting:

• Student engagement strategies (e.g., Fengtai No. 8 High’s math class "Dialogue with Escher: Exploring Translation Symmetry"),

• Equity-focused scaffolding (e.g., Beijing No. 18 High’s chemistry lesson on halogen elements), and

• Cross-cultural takeaways, as noted by Japanese and Korean experts on cultivating "slow pedagogy" for deeper learning.

4. High-Level Dialogue: East-West Synthesis

BNU’s Prof. Gu Mingyuan and Tokyo University’s Prof. Manabu Sato debated:

• Teacher readiness for AI-era challenges, stressing "Four Virtues of Great Teachers" (inspired by President Xi Jinping’s 2014 BNU speech) and "Educator Spirit"—a call to harmonize humanistic values with technological tools.

• Lessons from global pioneers (e.g., Tao Xingzhi’s "Life as Education" philosophy) and shared reform principles across divergent national contexts.

5. Closing Insights

• Prof. Peter Dudley (Cambridge University) warned against "21st-century skill overcrowding", advocating lesson study as a sustainable framework.

• Prof. Hu Yan (BNU) proposed "glocalizing" learning communities by merging China’s teacher-research culture with collaborative student discourse.

  
  

This event brought together over 10 distinguished experts and scholars from multiple countries who delivered 10 keynote presentations and participated in one high-level expert dialogue. In collaboration with the Fengtai District Government, Fengtai Education Commission, and project schools, we organized four parallel thematic forums featuring nearly 40 presentations by principals and teachers from primary and secondary schools. The conference engaged over 400 educators in vibrant discussions about learning communities and educational innovation. Additionally, 230 teachers from across China visited four Fengtai District schools, participating in nine classroom observation sessions. Through the online participation channel hosted by Beijing Normal University's Teacher Education Research Center, the event reached an impressive 25,000 virtual attendees.

As artificial intelligence and big data technologies advance at unprecedented speed, transformative changes are reshaping education worldwide. Educational innovation and the development of high-quality teaching professionals have consequently emerged as critical priorities across global education systems. This Learning Communities Conference served as a dynamic platform for dialogue on educational reform, successfully bridging China's grassroots educational practices with the profound insights of renowned domestic and international scholars. The exchange has generated valuable inspiration and forward-looking perspectives for advancing learning community initiatives and driving regional and institutional education reforms.