Abstract:

In the context of building China into a powerhouse in education, the focus of international curriculum research needs to shift from mere introduction to mutual learning. The global promotion of international curricula in basic education, like the International Baccalaureate (IB), has made full use of historical opportunities and a shared global educational consensus. However, the core challenge lies in effectively navigating tensions and conflicts encountered when such curricula enter national education systems—particularly those involving international mindedness versus national identity, performance orientation versus holistic education, and elite education versus inclusive education. Through extensive literature review, case studies, and analysis based on Actor-Network Theory (ANT), this study finds that the mechanisms by which international curricula address these tensions are dynamically negotiated among diverse actors—governments, schools, markets, and civil society—within various cultural contexts. To shift from curriculum introduction to mutual learning, it is essential to foster a new understanding that promotes the global articulation of educational value discourses, the creation of social negotiation networks among diverse actors, and the development of multi-level localization models. This approach aims to achieve a two-way construction and embedded negotiation between Chinese curricula and overseas local education systems. It offers a practical pathway to enhance the international influence of Chinese curricula and promote dialogue and mutual learning between Chinese and other international curricula.

Key words: localization of international curriculum, curriculum mutual learning, China’s curriculum outreach, dual construction and negotiated embeddedness