Education is never set in stone.
In prehistoric times
It was survival skills passed down by the fire;
In the Axial Age
Philosophers like Socrates lit the flame of rational inquiry;
Under the imperial exam system
It valued memorization and conformity over creativity;
After the Industrial Revolution
Classrooms turned into standardized workshops, forging cogs for society...
Yet education has always evolved to meet the needs of its age.
As John Dewey once said:
"If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow."
Now, with AI reshaping the world, rote memorization and repetition are losing value. What truly matters are interdisciplinary integration, data informed effective real-world action, critical thinking, cross-cultural understanding, and the ability to thrive alongside technology.
In an era where answers are just a click away, the mission of education is no longer just to provide answers, but to cultivate those who are effective questioners and create through chains of inquiry.
So how can schools nurture these future-oriented capacities?
At Aidi, the path is to weave educational research into teaching practice. Education research is neither isolated invention nor blind replication, but a cycle:
Engaging with world-class institutions to bring cutting-edge ideas into Aidi;
Refining these ideas in local contexts to forge our own pathways;
And sharing the outcomes back with the global education community.
As Dr. Lily Liu, Principal of Aidi School, explains: "Education must transform with the needs of society. When society changes, education must change with it to remain relevant. "
Guided by this philosophy, Aidi School’s Educational Research and Innovation Center has long been at the forefront of PBL in China. Most recently, Principal Dr. Lily Liu, Dr. Russell Hazard, and Dr. Randal Eplin developed a novel teacher training model integrating action research with PBL, now published in the International Journal of Teaching, Learning and Educational Research (IJLTER), reinforcing Aidi's leadership in global educational reform.
This is more than an academic exploration. It's a profound inquiry into the very nature of education:
Should teachers also be lifelong learners?
Can students become co-researchers in their own classrooms?
How can schools transform from "places of knowledge transmission" into "a community of continuous learning"?
At Aidi, these aren't just questions on paper. They are being investigated every day in real classrooms.
With this vision in mind, we spoke in depth with Dr. Russell Hazard, one of the lead authors of this study.
Q1What is action research?
A：Action research is different from traditional experimental research. Traditional research seeks universal truths, like testing vaccines or studying gravity. Action research, on the other hand, comes from social and organizational change. It is not about finding a universal answer but about high-impact problem solving unique to a specific context.
We teach teachers action research because they will always have the problem of how to help students learn better. This problem never disappears since the world changes every day, and education must change along with it. Education is unique because its goal is to prepare students for their whole lives. Now, with WASC and Cognia accreditation, our teachers are expected to reflect and improve constantly, becoming expert problem solvers. Action research provides a structured way to do this.
Q2How do teachers apply this method in practice?
A：First, they identify a problem. For example, a teacher may want to integrate AI but doesn’t know how to ensure students are actually learning with it. Then they research what is already known about the issue. The Innovation Center supports them to ensure they don’t miss key findings.
Next, the teacher formulates an action plan. For instance, students may be required to take AI-generated information as basic research, combine it with group discussion, and synthesize something new. This forces them to process and create, rather than passively copy. The teacher then collects data from all stakeholders—students, themselves, outside observers, and others in the community. They then draw conclusions and decide how to improve or what changes to investigate next. Importantly, action research is not done on people, but with people. Students become co-researchers in their own learning, gaining both a greater voice in their education and deeper engagement.
Q3Where did the idea of combining PBL and action research come from?
A：At Aidi, we are leaders in PBL in China. We have published our own PBL design framework, trained teachers, and run innovative programs like Digital Literacy PBL. Over time, I realized that action research is like a teacher PBL: it is a project with many similarities to student PBL. The challenge is that most teachers in China have never been students in a PBL classroom. So, even though we train as PBL teachers, something is always missing.
To address this, we applied PBL techniques when teaching action research. Teachers got to experience what a PBL classroom feels like, both its challenges, like being lost without direct answers, and its joys, such as the satisfaction of finding solutions collaboratively.
Q4Why do we need to explore new approaches like this?
A：This shift in education has been building for decades. As society, the economy, and technology transform, some skills become less relevant. For instance, memorizing vast numbers of historical dates is no longer crucial when information is instantly accessible.
Today's priority is higher-order skills: creativity, critical thinking, project management, socioemotional competencies, and leadership. These bring real value into the world. AI has accelerated the need for these changes. As routine tasks are increasingly automated, education must focus on executive skills that allow us to utilize AI tools and implement ideas in the real world. Ideas may be generated by AI, but humans must bring them into reality. Teachers need these competencies in order to teach them effectively, and this research helps develop exactly those skills.
Q5How was this study carried out?
A：We launched a program with a group of high school teachers, guiding them through action research planning and execution. We modeled what we asked them to do, turning the program itself into a leadership action research project. We planned multifaceted data collection, designed flexible pacing to accommodate teachers' workloads, and invited them to share reflections as co-researchers. Then, we combined teacher feedback, student feedback, outside observations, and researcher data throughout the action research process, then compiled the results into the paper.
Each teacher designed their own project with different themes, implemented it with students, and explained the purpose. Students became co-researchers, engaging in the process, trying new technologies, and reflecting on results alongside teachers. The program is still operating with many teachers still in progress. It will continue to rotate through departments.
Q6What benefits did teachers gain from the research?
A：First, they learned the process of action research, a transferable skill that changes how they approach problems. It's an approach to ongoing growth and development. Second, they improved their teaching in specific areas, whether that's metacognition or technology. Third, they developed understanding of the importance of using both qualitative and quantitative data that includes all the stakeholders in decision making processes. Finally, they experienced long-term PBL as students themselves, something most had never done before.
Q7Why do you describe this combination as a breakthrough?
A：Our literature review found no one had combined PBL and action research in this way before. Many teachers worldwide are asked to do action research, but they find it difficult due to workload and lack of research training. Using a PBL paradigm helps them to complete their action research more easily and with greater quality and simultaneously gives them the experience of being in a PBL classroom, enriching their teaching. This is why the paper was published internationally.
Q8What long-term impact does this have on teachers and the school?
A：For teachers, it provides a framework for lifelong professional growth. Instead of relying only on school-provided training, they can now design their own development paths. For the school, it strengthens our identity as a "learning organization", where every person and team is constantly scanning for opportunities, problems, and improvements. By modeling lifelong learning ourselves we cultivate it in our students as well.
Education should never stop at the present.
Visionary schools do not wait for change, they take the initiative to seek the answers of the future.
At Aidi, we go beyond simply copying existing models. Our mission is to create new possibilities for the future. True academic strength is measured not by papers, but by transformations taking place in every classroom. True innovation is not a slogan, but what unfolds as students, teachers, and leaders explore, inquire, and co-create together.
"We want our students to become learning experts," says Dr. Randal Eplin, "because change isn't stopping—it is only accelerating."
In a world driven by rapid technological change, most routine and repetitive tasks will be replaced by AI. Yet certain things will continue to be directed and crafted by humans. This high-value work is most often in the form of projects, whether when restructuring an organization’s management, composing a symphony, launching a new product, or initiating a transformative rural economic program. Only through continual renewal can education increase the impact of human initiative and empower students to embrace the unknown.
This is Aidi's response to the times.
Here, we do not merely adapt to the future.
WE CREATE IT.
