How do public school teachers react to education policy reforms with their colleagues?: The emergence of policy discussion networks during the implementation of the national education strategic plan in Myanmar

Abstract

Teachers working at the grassroots level of Myanmar’s educational bureaucracy are directly involved in the implementation of the basic educational reforms outlined in the National Education Strategic Plan. The aim of this study is to examine the formation of policy discussion networks among public school teachers during the implementation of the reforms as well as the ways in which the development of these discussion networks was affected by teachers’ perceptions of discretion, client meaningfulness, and willingness to implement the reforms. Teachers were involved in discussion connections that were developed on a reciprocal and transitive basis to facilitate their communication over time. When teachers perceived that the changes stipulated by the reforms offered greater benefits to their pupils and became more eager to implement these changes, they approached other teachers to discuss educational issues. This study provides theoretical and empirical contributions to the literature on street-level bureaucrats’ reactions to the implementation of policy reforms.