School initiative of media literacy education in the context of the national curriculum reform

Abstract

The chapter will unfold the school initiative of media literacy education in a Chinese primary school. In the context of the national curriculum reform, media literacy education became an alternative way for the school to conduct curriculum innovation. By analyzing the tenet of the national curriculum reform and the principle of media literacy education, it explains the confluence of these two factors for the educational initiative, in which media literacy education is also a consistent component of the school’s educational philosophy. The reform provided an opportunity for media literacy education to be introduced in the school. The two approaches of media literacy education were encouraged in curriculum reform, which the school made use of to begin the independent media literacy education and the integrated one. Through the changes in the reform and curriculum standards, the school officially got support to promote its development through media literacy education, particularly to make curriculum innovation. However, the school practice depended mostly on its own initiative, with the efforts from school leadership and teachers.