Higher Education In View Of Educational Structuring Element

Higher education is one of the branches subordinated to pedagogy. Therefore, people usually follow the general perspective and practices in dealing with the studies in the field of higher education. However, the problem is that whatever the perspective or the practice is,—no matter it is a perspective of values, essentials or social studies—in fact, it cannot get to the essence of the particularity of higher education itself. Therefore, we need an integrated concern about higher education study. The particularity of higher education is that it is not only an objective existence, but also a spiritual existence in a profound meaning. On one hand, higher education must stick to the logic of its self existence—college spirit; on the other hand, it should be integrated with the times and keep the open characteristic of self transcending. Just on this point, Ashby, the famous British educator, points out,"college is the product of heredity and environment".Obviously, higher education is different from elementary education or other educational phenomenon in different levels. It has its unique form of existence and development. In terms of elementary education, knowledge teaching and learning are placed in the first position. However, in terms of higher education, on one hand, it should keep its internal spiritual and humanistic traditions; on the other hand, it should adapt itself to the needs of the transforming times. This poses a higher requirement towards the development and transformation of higher education. As such a unique form of existence, higher education is hardly to be integrally defined in all the educational dictionaries we have. For example, it is obviously that the terms,'college concept','college spirit', etc., can only convey one side of the implications of higher education—the side of spiritual heredity, but they cannot expose its special function and mission in dynamic social development. In view of such a condition, we try to expose the unique form of existence of higher education from the perspective of educational structuring element. Structuring element is a scientific term which means the fundamental unit that composes material or system. In this thesis, the usage of structuring element is quite different. On the basis of structuralism and meta-theory, it not only tries hard to define the internal logic of higher education, but attempts to present the harmonious blend of higher education development and the spirit of the times as well. Therefore, in this dissertation, we regard educational structuring element as a'+ structure'composed by crisscross relationships. Such a cross higher educational structuring element incarnates the heredity of the self spirit of higher education. In addition, it embodies the characteristic of the blend of the requirement in different times and higher education. In another word, the'+ structure'in educational structuring element embodies the unity of the spiritual heredity of the development of higher education and the times. In the'+structure', the symbol,'丨', refers to the inherit and pass on the spirit, idea and logic of higher education; whereas,'―'refers to the blend of its internal idea and the spirit of the times.After straightening out the connotation of educational structuring element, this paper firstly explores the internal logic and historical mission of higher education. The internal logic and historical mission of higher education epitomizes the inner foundations of the existence of higher education which is the due meaning of educational structuring element. Generally speaking, the internal logic and historical mission of higher education includes three layers of contents—first, academic; second, intellectual; third, impartation and inheritance—which epitomizes the nature of higher education. Secondly, in the view of educational structuring element, this paper makes a profound analysis on the internal components of higher education. The internal components of higher education mainly include the executives and the participants, or the president, the teachers and the students, who, in fact, serve as the carrier and transmitter of college spirit and social culture.Thirdly, in the light of the theory of educational structuring element, this thesis concentrates on exploring the external elements of higher education—external regional study. Without question, institution of higher learning is not something remaining aloof from the world. It must exist in a certain region. Therefore, the regional study becomes a research subject in the study of higher education. After the analysis of internal and external elements of higher education, from the perspective of of educational structuring elements, this paper concentrates on the humanistic spirit—the purpose and value of higher education—which is mainly incarnated as the autonomous spirit of an institution of higher learning, the spirit of academic freedom, the spirit of science and the spirit of universality. In conclusion, this paper points out that the development of higher education is a process of unceasing open and self- transcending from the perspective of the dynamic character of educational structuring element,.