Curriculum Theory And The Compilation Of History Textbooks For Primary And Middle Schools In The Late Qing Dynasty And The Republic Of China

China had been experienced a big turning era of modern history from1904to1949. During the nearly50years, China had not only realized the transition from traditional feudal society to the modern democratic society in politics, but also had achieved a gradual modernization in all parts of society including the compilation and publication of history textbooks of primary and secondary schools.’History’ used not to be a independent subject but attaching to subjects like Scripture Reading or self-cultivation. Textbooks during that time were similar to historical records since most of those were chosen from the official history in the past dynasties.’History’ hadn’t stepped onto the educational stage as an independent subject until the promulgation of <the approved regulations for schools> and then here came the birth of textbooks with sense of modern pedagogy. In the next few decades, the compilation of history textbooks of primary and secondary schools became better and approached perfection day by day with a more specific aim scientific content selection.Level of primary and middle school history textbooks improved all the time.It had close relate to The New History,the national language movement and the new teaching method absolutely.But,its’ growth also linked with curriculum theory at home and abroad.Meanwhile, theories of curriculum compiled by Herbart and Dewey had been introduced to China and caused great sensation in Chinese educational world. Besides, the curriculum theory of Yuanpei Cai, the Chinese traditional educationist, has brought great influence on Chinese modern educational history. These three curriculum theories promote the progress of modernization on primary and middle school history textbooks.Accompanied by the boom of learning from Japan after the Sino-Japanese War, Herbart’s curriculum theory spread to China quickly during the modern times and attached great importance to many scholars. It was just in the period that the New Deal in the Late Qing Dynasty when the education reform was one of the important items. Herbart’s curriculum ideas naturally became the guiding ideology of course teaching and textbook compiling including History. His curriculum ideas of attaching great importance to the children’s experience and interest has brought great influence on Chinese modern educational history. During the next ten years Chinese local educator Yuanpei Cai proposed the theory of’comprehensive and balanced curriculum’that emphasize the balance of all kinds of knowledge in curriculum which influenced the compiling of historical textbooks in the early years of the Republic of China. Accompanied by the academic lectures given by Dewey during the May Fourth Period, his Pragmatism theory course as a boom has great impact on Chinese primary and secondary school education for about30years. Hence, the compiling of primary and middle school history textbooks were under the influence of pragmatism curriculum theory inevitably.From the view of curriculum theory and primary and middle school history textbooks,to research the History textbook compiling nearly fifty years.It is benefit to show locus of History textbook development that the academic unaware.People understood how the History textbook from traditional to modern.Then enlighten the compiling of Chinese primary and secondary school textbooks nowadays.