Font Size: a A A

Research On Undergraduate Education Ideas And Teaching Reform In China

Posted on:2006-10-15Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:Q L KangFull Text:PDF
GTID:1117360182971696Subject:Higher Education
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
As the main part and backbone of university education, undergraduate education is the focus of higher education reform at home and abroad. With the profound changing of the world's situation, the increasing influence of globalization, the rapid advancement of science & technology and the first-displaying clue of information economy since 20 years ago, new challenges have been brought to conventional ideas and teaching pattern in undergraduate education. Universities in China are now implementing research and practice of teaching reform in undergraduate education. However, the unclear object orientation, the blurry understanding of task and function, and the severe similar reform of undergraduate teaching reform have blocked this reform. Putting the research of undergraduate education idea and teaching reform of under the space-time background in history and reality, this study systematically traces back to the evolvement process of undergraduate education in China, summarizes its influence on undergraduate teaching and analyzes its forming causes, its function and limitation. Internally, this study analyzes higher education development and transformation of internal form and function in our country at present, and emphasizes on the development and transformation in the future; Externally, it also analyzes the profound reform of economy, culture, science & technology and their influences on higher education from the interactive law of higher education and society in our country, in order to conform the new function and mission of undergraduate education in the new situation. Finally, this study puts forward new idea of undergraduate education in our country and its requirement to teaching reform, proposes new approaches of teaching reform in undergraduate education. The development of undergraduate education has been analyses from the perspectives of education idea and teaching reform. The idea "Training Generalist" at the end of Qing dynasty is actually an idea of advanced specialty education based on preparatory education; what it trained was advanced specialists with general knowledge; courses were mainly intensive specialty courses; common basic courses serve as the main courses in Higher Schools (preparatory education).The idea "Knowledgeable Talent" succeeded to the idea of advanced specialty education; however, undergraduate education with this idea not only trained academic specialists, but also trained generalists needed for democratic politics. Undergraduate courses were divided into general education and special education, with general section having basic courses and conspectus courses. Fixed number of years and courses of preparatory education were reduced. Education idea presented a transformational trend. It was a connecting link between the preceding and the following in the history of Chinese undergraduate education. Gradually rising from the middle of 1920s, the idea of "Liberal education " found its foothold in China. It attaches importance on training whole person keeps balance between humanistic education and technological education, trains social talents with foresight. Under the idea of liberal education, shifted from abundance to summary and general to special in the course system, the common courses in every college provide the advanced specialty academy with broad knowledge base; at the same time, it has the value of culture edifying and character training. The idea of professional education is adaptive to national construction requirements in the planned-economy system in the early years of People's Republic of China. What it trained is advanced specialists needed by socialist construction. Its characteristics are as following: recruiting, training, and allotting students according to profession; teaching concentrating on profession; forming course system encircling profession. Profession education pattern has its historical rationality; however, it became a shackle of undergraduate education reform afterwards. As a result of the reform against disadvantage of conventional education pattern, the education idea of "Broad Base & Wide Caliber" took the place of profession education in China. It has characteristics as follows: strengthening foundation, weakening profession, enhancing adaptability, and emphasizing the all-round development of knowledge, quality and ability. Consequently, teaching reform is heading for broadening profession caliber, changing profession setting, amending teaching program and adjusting course structure. From the evolving process of undergraduate education, we can see externally that economical, political and scientific & technological developments of society decide the styles and requirements of talented persons required and thus decide undergraduate education idea, internally that internal education structure has influence on status and mission of undergraduate education. The status and function of undergraduate education are determined by its relationship with education of high school, college, vocational college and postgraduate. And the transformation of internal higher education structure will result in the change of the status and function of undergraduate education. Analyzed from both aspects of history and reality, Chinese undergraduate education reform should regard multi-idea as its guide. That is, undergraduate educations with different styles and different education ideas should form their own characteristic. As a new running pattern of profession and course, this new idea can flexibly and initiatively adapt itself to the requirements of society, market, technological development and students.Renovating concepts, innovating systems and proper operating tactics are required to practicing the idea. This study has important practical significance and theoretical value. It reviews development of undergraduate education idea in different historical periods and puts forward new idea of undergraduate education reform in China and new approaches & tactics for the teaching reform. It studies undergraduate education idea and problems of teaching reform from the aspect of relationship between internal and external education. It enriches Chinese higher education theory.
Keywords/Search Tags:Undergraduate Education, Education Idea, Teaching Reform, Higher Education
PDF Full Text Request
Related items