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What are “Chinese Values”?
“Chinese values” do not refer to a single or fixed set of values. Rather, they consist of a range of ideas rooted in Chinese history, culture and intellectual traditions. These values have long influenced how people understand themselves, relate to others, and view family, society and responsibility. In education, cultural values can also shape teachers’ professional identities and teaching practices (Ho, Lee, et al., 2025).
Commonly recognised values include benevolence, integrity, responsibility, respect, harmony, and an emphasis on personal character and self-cultivation. These values do not exist only within traditional culture. In modern society and educational environments, they can still serve as important reference points for thinking about interpersonal relationships, educational practice and leadership approaches.
In the philosophy of the Master of Arts in Chinese Values-Based Leadership Education [MA(CVBLE)] at The Education University of Hong Kong, traditional Chinese values are also an important foundation for understanding educational leadership. The programme emphasises a deep understanding of the cultural background and intellectual meaning of traditional Chinese values and encourages students to consider how these core ideas can be applied to contemporary educational leadership and practice.
What's the Relationship Between Chinese Values and Contemporary Education?
Education is not only about the transmission of knowledge; it is also a process of value formation and value practice. Research also suggests that teachers’ values can shape how they teach (Ho, Lee, et al., 2025).
In schools and educational institutions, many everyday decisions are closely related to values. For example, how should different students be treated fairly? How can trust and collaboration among teachers be strengthened (Choi et al., 2025)? How should differing opinions be handled? What should be prioritised when making important decisions? When promoting change, how can organisational needs and people’s feelings be balanced?
Therefore, the significance of Chinese values in contemporary education is not limited to understanding traditional culture. More importantly, it invites us to consider: How can these values be understood and practised in today’s educational environment?
For instance, integrity encourages us to rethink a leader’s responsibility for decisions and actions; benevolence reminds educators to care about relationships between people; and harmony in diversity reminds us that, when facing different views, we do not necessarily need to pursue complete uniformity. Instead, we can learn to respect differences and seek common direction. In schools, open communication is important, as agreement does not always mean that everyone shares the same understanding (Ho, Chiu, et al., 2025).
MA(CVBLE) connects traditional Chinese values with contemporary educational leadership from this perspective. It emphasises the integration of integrity, moral responsibility, cultural understanding and global perspectives into leadership and decision-making.
How can Chinese Values be Integrated into Leadership Practice?
Values are not abstract concepts. They are reflected in how a person thinks, makes judgements and acts.
For educators, leadership may be demonstrated at different levels. It does not only appear in formal management positions; it may also take place in classrooms, team collaboration, project implementation, student support and everyday communication (Ho & Lu, 2024; Ho, Qian, et al., 2025). When team members hold different views, how should balance be achieved? When changes arise, how can organisational needs and people’s feelings be considered? When formulating new development directions, what should serve as the basis for judgement? When resources are limited, how can responsible choices be made?
These questions involve not only management capabilities, but also the values and principles that leaders consider important.
Therefore, MA(CVBLE) does not only explore what Chinese values are; it also focuses on how values can be transformed into educational leadership and practical action. The programme’s objectives include applying traditional Chinese values to contemporary educational leadership and decision-making, while connecting global education trends with Chinese educational contexts. This enables students to understand educational leadership from multiple perspectives, including culture, ethics, strategy and international outlook.
Experiencing Chinese Values through Tea Culture
The understanding of Chinese values can also extend beyond the classroom. MA(CVBLE) organises a Chinese Tea Culture Workshop every academic year, named “Tea x Leadership”, allowing participants to engage with Chinese traditions from the perspectives of daily life and culture through tea brewing, tea tasting and learning about tea culture.
Tea is more than a beverage. From tea etiquette and ways of receiving guests to the emphasis on concentration, respect and communication during the tea-making process, tea culture provides a window into Chinese culture and values.
This form of learning also makes some abstract cultural and value concepts more concrete. Through first-hand experience, students can understand how Chinese culture values relationships, self-cultivation, etiquette and interpersonal interaction through the details of everyday life.
In the past, MA(CVBLE) learning outcomes have also connected tea culture experiences, traditional Chinese culture, values education and educational leadership, further transforming them into school-based educational initiatives. This shows that Chinese values are not only topics for classroom discussion; they can also be extended into concrete educational design and practice.
From Understanding Values to Reflecting on Education
Understanding Chinese values does not mean simply transferring traditional ideas into the present. Rather, it involves understanding their cultural background and intellectual meaning, and then considering the role they can play in contemporary education.
This is also one of the important directions of MA(CVBLE): starting from Chinese culture and values while maintaining an understanding of contemporary education and global development, in order to explore leadership approaches suitable for different educational contexts.
For educators, this process is not only about learning a set of ideas. It is also a process of rethinking education, leadership and the values one holds. When values do not remain merely at the conceptual level, but are transformed into judgement, communication and action, they can become an important and lasting force in educational leadership.
