International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development

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From Policy to Practice: Implementing Chinese Language Curriculum in UAE Public Schools

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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced Chinese into its national public-school system through the Hundred Schools Project in 2019. Although the initiative expanded rapidly, less is known about how its curriculum is interpreted and enacted in multilingual school settings. This research evaluates curriculum implementation in participating public schools in Al Ain using the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) framework. The qualitative single-case study drew on semi-structured interviews, stimulated recall interviews, and teaching-related documents from six Chinese language teachers. Thematic analysis and cross-source triangulation examined policy context, implementation support, curriculum enactment, monitoring, teaching styles, and evident outcomes. The findings show that the Project provided clear aims, level-based curriculum guidance, common instructional planners, textbooks, digital resources, professional development, and monitoring mechanisms. However, implementation conditions varied across schools. Teachers reported incomplete access to printed, audio, and supplementary resources; uneven practical follow-up after professional development; complex workloads; and limited instructional time. They adapted pacing, tasks, materials, and teaching roles to learner readiness and school conditions. Five overlapping teaching-style orientations were identified, but no single style was used consistently. Students demonstrated foundational language use, cultural and multilingual expression, participation in extracurricular activities, and recognized achievement. The available evidence did not establish uniform or sustained gains in Chinese proficiency. The research argues that the Project has created a meaningful foundation for Chinese language and cultural education, but its sustainability depends on stronger coherence among curriculum progression, resources, professional learning, instructional time, monitoring, and school-level support.
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