Yong Zhao: Leading the Paradigm Shift

Zhao has worked internationally exerting great influence in the fields of educational technology, international comparative education, and educational innovation. He places learners at the center of all of his work and calls for education to respond in kind, shifting the education paradigm to one that puts learner agency at the forefront and that is positioned to adapt to a volatile and unpredictable world. He has contributed new insights into what educational technology is and should be, how students can be directors of their own learning, and redefining entrepreneurship education in ways that make it accessible and meaningful for product-oriented, personalizable, and global learning. His work in these fields has led him to significant research, publication, and practical work with students, teachers, and schools as well as the governing bodies and policies that influence them. He continues to call for a shift to the education paradigm, noting the inadequacies of the one-size-fits-all traditional paradigm and the many side effects it has caused.