Transition From Exogenously-driven Model To Endogenously-driven Model

Since the establishment of People's Republic of China, the development of primary and secondary teaching and research system in China has gone through 7 phases:the gestation period (1949-1951), the initiation period (1952-1956), the forming period (1957-1965), the suspension period (1966-1976), the reconstruction period (1977-1982), the standardization period (1983-2000) and the established period (2001-present). As an important part of the education management system, there are a lot of questions about the issue. How has it been generated in specific historical conditions over the history of sixty years? What unique value and advantages does it have? Is there any corresponding teaching and research system abroad? Has it made any positive effect on the primary and secondary education in New China? In 21st century, the former various conditions in specific historical period no longer exist, what challenges will it be encountered? How should it be oriented and developed?These open questions are the main concern of the study. For the convenience of the study, the research methods adopted in the paper are the integration of three combinations:historical research combined with practical research, vertical analysis combined with horizontal comparison, systematical analysis combined with case study. The framework of the thesis is arranged in the time of development and in the order of questions, and in this way the literature at every historical stage has been thoroughly investigated. Through the investigation of the generation, evolution and development of the primary and secondary teaching and research system of China in combination with the features and advantages of the equivalent systems in the world, we have focused on the analyses of the background and origins of the current system in China. Consequently, the study suggests that China's primary and secondary teaching and research system as a result of the specific historical conditions are suitable for China proper, while its generation, evolution and development have been clothed with strong Chinese characteristics. Furthermore, the primary and secondary teaching and research system development process has been sorted out and the value, significance and practical obstacles of the so-called top-bottom exogenously-driven teaching and research system of New China has also been explored. Thereafter, with the purpose to reform the single top-bottom model of the current system, the study proposes a new model of endogenously-driven teaching and research system so as to propel the new curriculum-based, bottom-up teaching and research system.The dissertation is divided into five chapters as follows.Chapterâ… :Introduction. This part provides the source of the project and its significance, to the understanding of the project, some core notions relevant to the topic are defined next. Followed are the literature review, and at last the outline and organization of the dissertation are discussed.Chapterâ…¡:The initiation and forming of the primary and secondary teaching and research system. In New China, the generation of primary and secondary teaching and research system has experienced a difficult process of exploration. The occurrence did not only meet the needs of New Chinese regime-building, but also improve the qualification of the teaching staff. The system, as an important measure of the specific historical, political and social environment in the field of education, helped to transform educational institutions at all levels in Old China. Admittedly, it was the emergence of the new system that had helped to improve the education quality of primary and secondary schools of that time. However, this type of teaching and research system depended greatly upon the administration of the government and could be classified into the category of exogenously -driven teaching and research system.Chapter III:The development and evolution of the primary and secondary teaching and research system. The system had undergone several great changes since the day of its birth, and each change had witnessed its great influences imposed from both inside and outside world of different circumstances. At the beginning of the "Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (commonly known as "Cultural Revolution")", the regular teaching activities were interfered and the academic institutions of teaching damaged at that time. As a result, the teaching and research system came to a slump and no teaching and research activities were carried out. Fortunately, as the "Cultural Revolution" came to an end, a new challenge to improve the qualification of the teaching staff and to restore the normal teaching activities was imposed unprecedentedly to primary and secondary schools. During this period, various teaching and research institutions at different levels were restored, reformed or newly-established, as a unique teaching management model in China, and a four-level teaching and research system was basically established. The new century saw the further development of the exogenously-driven teaching and research system and the difficulties it encountered. In the epoch of the new century, as the curriculum reform of basic education deepens, the teaching and research focus has shifted and therefore the teaching and research system lost its original foundation.Chapter IV:Experiences and obstacles of the exogenously-driven teaching and research system. Since the founding of New China, due to the volatile ups and downs of political circumstances, the system had experienced stability and development. For a long period, this system was regarded as an up-bottom exogenously-driven teaching and research system. Such a system played a positive role in many ways such as to guarantee the full use of the limited education resources, to carry out the education policy and regulations, to promote the reform of the primary and secondary school curriculum and teaching methodology, and to improve the qualification of the nation-wide teaching staff. It is precisely because of this system, the maximum guarantee of the quality of basic education was ensured. But with the changes of education environment, the exogenously-driven teaching and research system in China has greatly restricted the development of primary and secondary education reform and become a major obstacle in the education field. This chapter attempts to analyze of the major achievements of the primary and secondary teaching and research system in order to reveal the obstacle of the system.Chapterâ…¤:The Tendency of development and construction of the primary and secondary teaching and research system. In New China, the primary and secondary teaching and research system, imported and introduced into the education field from abroad, had gone through hardships and difficulties in the course of generation and development. Radical revolution in education, suspension in academic activities and standardization in operation have marked and witnessed the progress of the system. At present, the education management has experienced tremendous changes as the administration moves from the government to education entities and the teaching staff become more and more professional, the exogenously-driven teaching and research system are encountered a lot of obstacles and so the primary and secondary education cries for reform. To promote the reform of teaching and research, to ensure the quality education of the primary and secondary education need urgent treatment, which is inspired by the social development and progress in China and stimulated by the international practices. To promote school-based teaching and research, to transform the exogenously-driven teaching and research system into the endogenously-driven teaching and research system are to establish the school-based teaching and research system, to make professional teaching staff the main force in the school-based teaching and research system, and to reform the teaching and research architecture and finally to innovate the teaching and research implementation mechanism.