Excellence is not enough: The Taiwanese case

Taiwanese students continue to perform among the best across multiple cycles of international large-scale educational surveys. This chapter scrutinizes the top academic performance attained by Taiwanese students by reviewing the national intended curriculum and guidelines, implemented teacher education and instruction, established textbook policies, and effects of national entrance examinations based on the Tri-Partite model. Intended curriculum defines what students should learn in schools at the country level; implemented curriculum refers to how and with what tools teachers instruct; attained curriculum is what students achieve. How the intended, implemented, and attained curricula interact to result in top performances for Taiwanese students among the education systems participating in international large-scale assessments is explained in detail. The traditional emphasis on the attained curriculum in Taiwan's society seems to enhance Taiwanese students' academic performance by ensuring they acquire basic skills and content knowledge in subject domains and related learning areas. Nonetheless, the need for modern citizens with high-level cognitive reasoning, autonomous problem-solving skills, modern digital learning abilities, and elevated wellbeing calls for advanced educational policies and practices in Taiwan. Investing educational resources in disadvantaged populations would ameliorate the serious achievement gap observed in Taiwan and thus strike a balance between equity and excellence. Along with the 12-Year Basic Education, Taiwan integrates the three parts of the curriculum to maintain its students' top academic performance while aiming to reduce the achievement gap and improve educational equity. Concurrently, Taiwan helps students' well-being by encouraging them to become modern citizens who take initiatives, engage in interaction, and seek the common good.