Purpose

This article explores the core concepts, theoretical foundations, and research applications of Bruner’s folk pedagogy, as well as its meaning and impact on the reform of Taiwan’s 12-year National Basic Education Curriculum (hereinafter, “the 108 Curriculum”).

Design/methodology/approach

This article employed the hermeneutic circle method, emphasizing “intertextuality” between documents. Through a dynamic process of bidirectional thinking between the whole and the parts, a dialogue was conducted across different textual levels. This approach further deepens our understanding of the texts and reveals their implicit meanings and underlying logic. Differences and similarities were discerned and their interrelationships integrated, thus highlighting previously unnoticed arguments and forming a coherent synthesis.

Findings/results

Bruner’s folk pedagogy emphasized the importance of the cultural context in education and provided theoretical support for teachers in designing competency-based instructional activities. This approach facilitates students’ learning within a cultural framework. Regarding the competency-based teaching design in the 108 curriculum, teachers

should flexibly employ instructional strategies and integrate their knowledge into particular cultural contexts. Scaffolding strategies are recommended to guide students in thinking critically, exploring deeply, and developing problem-solving skills, thereby promoting their holistic development to effectively meet future challenges.

Originality/value

This article systematically combined Bruner’s folk pedagogy with the competency-based instructional practices outlined in the 108 curriculum, conducting an in-depth exploration of the implication of Bruner’s folk pedagogy in multicultural contexts, which contributed to its originality. Furthermore, this article potentially provides a new theoretical framework for the practical implementation of current educational reforms and offers teachers an effective theoretical basis and practical guidelines. Therefore, this article is intended to promote students’ critical thinking, creativity, and holistic development in a multicultural context.

Implications for policy/practice

This article suggests that educational leaders should encourage schools to integrate multicultural elements into their curriculum designs and foster students’ global perspectives and cultural sensitivity by incorporating cultural psychology perspectives. This approach is intended to promote students’ holistic development and reduce their cultural biases. Second, educational leaders should improve teachers’ professional competencies and help them address the diverse needs of students more effectively through both practical and policy support. Third, educational leaders should establish policies that support the integration of educational technology with folk pedagogy, encouraging the development of personalized learning strategies and the flexible application of instructional tools based on students’ needs and circumstances to improve overall teaching effectiveness.