IT IS JUST A MATTER OF “TIME”:CHALLENGES OF CHANGING SCHOOLS’ TIME STRUCTURE AND TEACHER’S TIME CONCEPTION IN A CONTEXT OF RADICAL CURRICULUM REFORM

Restructuring and reculturing are two concepts used to describe features of educational reforms. Unlike many commentators who stress the contrast between them, I aim to untie their intertwining relationships in this paper. Time is a crucial factor in any educational reform. On the one hand, changes in curriculum may involve reorganization of the school’s existing time structure. On the other hand, the pace and usage of time prescribed by the reform may be deemed inappropriate or unrealistic by the teachers involved. In both cases time can become an obstacle to a reform. From the perspective of ‘time’, I use empirical evidence to argue that restructuring and reculturing are two sides of the coin. This paper is based on a study of the implementation process of the new national curriculum in Taiwan. Qualitative research was conducted at two schools, one primary and one junior high school. The results show that, at practical level, changing school timetables do not necessary lead to changes in teachers’ practice. At conceptual level, teachers and policy makers may have different senses of time.