Heroes or villains? How different media produced contesting narratives about PhD graduate teachers in China and its implications for teacher policymaking in the digital age

In the digital age, the agenda-setting power dynamics of education stakeholders have been reshaped. Using China’s teacher qualification advancement policy as a typical case, this study reveals the narrative differences among policymakers, schools, and the public regarding new PhD graduates who chose to work as school teachers in primary and secondary schools. Confronted by rising and heated public narratives, policymakers relinquished its agenda-setting power and attempted to balance schools and the public. This study expands the understanding of the transformative role of media in changing educational agenda setting. It foregrounds the value of public controversies in the teacher policy process as a key node that arouses public “resonance” in the era of digital acceleration. This study also contributes a showcase to apply the narrative policy framework in teacher policy research.