Chinese Culture Origin And Innovation Of Chen Heqin's Educational Thoughts

In recent years, many researchers in educational circles focus their research on Chen Heqin's educational thoughts again. Inspecting the previous studies of Chen Heqin's educational thoughts, I find that seldom of the previous researchers use the method of oral history , the researchers always use the method of literature . Therefore, I interviewed 19 persons , who is the relatives, students or colleagues of Chen Heqin , using the method of oral history. The interviewees including Chen yiming and Chen yifei have either lived together or had close association with Chen Heqin . Then I analyze the oral historical materials of the interviewees , and try to find the Chinese culture origin and innovation of Chen Heqin's educational thoughts . Many researchers think that Chen Heqin's educational thoughts is the sinification of western educational thoughts. They believe that Chen Heqin made the western educational thoughts more suitable for application in China through interpreting and explaining them. Using the method of oral historical , I find that, Chen Heqin's educational thoughts is not a simple sinification of western educational thoughts . It is based on the China's national conditions, education and the actual needs of children in China. Thus, this study will focus on research issues as following : Is it possible for Chen Heqin to set up an educational thoughts with Chinese characteristics ,and what could he do to establish this kind of educational thoughts?Combining the literature and the oral historical materials together , then analyzing them, I found that:The reason why Chen Heqin could form an educational thoughts with Chinese characteristics is because he deeply has an excellent tradition Chinese cultural heritage. The excellent traditional culture made Chen Heqin know how to behave properly very well , and he executes his education of behave properly in the combination of excellent Chinese traditional culture and the needs of his era. The excellent traditional culture also made Chen Heqin have the patriotism, as if he has a newborn baby's heart, and Confucian and Taoist Basic spirit. These two things are the main line in Chen Heqin's education career. Patrotism shows Chen Heqin's " noble spirit", makes him like a "real man" . And he performs his duty to save the nation through education for he loves children so much .Therefore, excellent tradition Chinese cultural is the origin of Chen Heqin's behavior and career.The formation of Chen Heqin's educational thoughts is also related with his awareness of China's national conditions and the quality of the people's awareness at his time. For example, Chen Heqin has pointed out that " Chinese science is inferior to western countries, Chinese people are more humpbacked , Chinese people are selfish, Chinese people always spit everywhere and neglect of health, too many Chinese people are illiterate ,povety and ill. " And he also believes that modern education could not do any good to Chinese people. Reflecting the Chinese education that is affected by western educational thoughts, Chen Heqin firmly believe that educators only applying the education ,which is suitable for China's national conditions , could improve the Chinese people's quality, then china could be saved be more powerful. Therefore, he decided to practice his educational thoughts by founding kindergarten , schools and compiling textbooks etc. He founded Gulou kindergarten , which is suitable for China's national conditions ,in Nanjing, He set up a school for cultivating preschool teachers in Jiangxi and a college in Shanghai. And both of them are closely related to the national situation and national destiny. In addition ,He compiled some textbooks that could reflect the spirit of Chinese culture.Though deeply influenced by Western education ideological trend, Chen Heqin's educational thoughts is not a transformation or simply copy of western education theory .And we could say that it is a production that is totally based on his education practice in China. Chen Heqin's education thoughts is a special creation that is based on his long-term education practice. He researches because he aims to promote Chinese education practice , he criticized and absorbed some reasonable elements from western education thoughts, and he never copy these thoughts simply.The conclusions of this study is of considerable benefits for the booming kindergarten curriculum reform in China now. Firstly, we should face the reality of early childhood education of China directly just like Chen Heqin did . Secondly , we should research more about China's outstanding traditional culture and absorb some reasonable elements from the Western educational thoughts just like Chen Heqin did . Last but not least, the aim of our reformation should be solving the problems of China itself.