Exploring teachers pedagogical adaptation in response to China's double reduction policy a study of challenges and innovations across school contexts

This study examines how teachers in China_s compulsory education system adjust their teaching under the Double Reduction policy, which seeks to reduce homework and off-campus tutoring while safeguarding learning quality. The study aimed to (1) describe teachers_ perceptions of policy legitimacy and feasibility, (2) test whether teacher agency predicts instructional adaptation and instructional innovation, and (3) explore how these practices relate to teaching effectiveness, student engagement, and professional well-being. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted, and data were collected online from in-service teachers. The instrument demonstrated acceptable reliability and construct validity for subsequent analyses. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and bootstrap-based indirect effect tests. Results indicated that teachers_ views of the policy_s educational value did not fully align with their feasibility judgments, with feasibility perceptions being more dependent on school-level enabling conditions. Teacher agency positively predicted both instructional adaptation and instructional innovation. Regarding outcomes, both adaptation and innovation were positively associated with teaching effectiveness, student engagement, and professional wellbeing; adaptation was more closely linked to teaching effectiveness, whereas innovation was more closely linked to student engagement. In addition, instructional adaptation played a central indirect role in linking teacher agency with student engagement and professional well-being. The study concludes that teacher agency and perceived policy feasibility particularly leadership support and school resources are key to translating policy goals into sustainable classroom practices. These findings contribute to understanding how national policy is enacted through teachers_ professional judgement and context-responsive teaching in real school settings.