Teaching Theory Construction Methodology For Comparison

It has been more than 100 years since China introduced, learned and translated from foreign teaching theories. As for when we systematically and comprehensively studied the foreign teaching theories after the Reform and Open-up policy in China, it has been more than 30 years. Undeniably, we have accomplished plenty of research results. However, an indisputable truth is that so far our country still has not established a prosperous teaching theories system with Chinese characteristics, by which to direct and guide our country's teaching practice. The appropriate international influence has not affected as well the stage of the development of teaching theories. The teaching theories with Chinese characteristics require the nourishment of various foreign advanced teaching theories; it can not be accomplished in the setting of rejection of foreign teaching theories, but rather needs to build on a thorough grasp of foreign teaching theories. During our research, we found that we are attracted by advanced foreign teaching theories, we dedicated ourselves into introducing, engaging in, learning and taking in these theories. At the beginning, we thought we can gradually put some valuable ideas, opinions and thoughts into use in our own teaching theories, and we believed it will create unbelievable impact in our native country, thus, it subsequently will improve our practice and upgrade our own level of theory construction. Unfortunately, that did not prove to be not true, and all we harvested is disappointment and frustration. Here comes the issue: How should we learn from others' teaching theories in different states? How on earth can we build our own native characteristic teaching theories? Questions related to this issue have been lingering in the minds of every researcher in this field, and have become an unspeakable pain to most theorists'hearts. This compels us to study systematically and comprehensively foreign teaching and education theories and dig out something that can be merged into our own system of teaching theories.The process of the individual acknowledging oneself often requires the comparison with someone else. Through finding out the differences between someone else and the individual him/herself, the individual can be more clearly and deeply aware of his/her own personality. Teaching theories of different nations in different periods arise from different cultures. The differences between them are not only at the specific content of the performance and thought, or the value of intrinsic differences in orientation, but also in the different methodologies. Compared with the opinion and content in teaching theories, these are more universal in the methodology which can be learned more easily. During the construction of teaching theories, subjected and influenced by the different methodologies, different researchers select different research tools, procedures, means, or emphasize the use of certain research tools, procedures and means specifically, or highlight the use of some specific aspects of the research tools and methods and even make efforts to discover and create their own research directions and new tools, to form a specific teaching theory. However, each methodology has disadvantages as well as advantages ,that overcome difficultly in the face of each specific situation and issue. This restricts the applicability of it and gives boundaries to it. When we cast a broad global vision as the background to compare the building of teaching theories with other countries, we should pay more attention to their respective characteristics in methodology of the different teaching theories in different nations and its success or failure, understand the characteristics of their perspectives, reflect on the construction of teaching theories in our country more deeply, and provide valuable considerations and suggestions to the construction of teaching theories with Chinese characteristics.Teaching theory and ideology are closely linked. From a certain sense, the teaching theory has sort of ideological aspect, or in other words, the existence of an ideology. But teaching theories with ideology-characteristics does not necessarily ideologized. We must deal with the relationship between the construction of teaching theories and ideology, especially the political ideology correctly,in order to avoid the control of political ideology over the construction of teaching theories of transgression and to avoid the lack of"nutrients"to the teaching theories because of the only use of methodology in the country is that of political ideology, research orientations of interpretation of government policy-type , and political standards of tailoring teaching theory.The scientific aspect of teaching theories is an inevitable requirement for the teaching practices activities that are seeking scientific and technological results, and also an ideal for human being to attempt scientific descriptions and scientific guidance. The development of teaching theories is based on the necessary scientific foundation. Its development requires the associated subjects or related disciplines to provide a theoretical basis for its development and methodology guide, to provide concrete reference or integration, assimilation of new ideas, concepts, to provide a new position or research perspective, to give researchers the necessary enlightenment thought. However, to seek the scientific basis for teaching theories, it is not necessary for the theories to be completely scientific, especially through sophisticated natural science paradigm and methods to confine the development of the teaching theories, thus pursuing the natural scientific dimension of teaching theory. Otherwise, when it enhances the Scientific of teaching theories, but also makes the teaching theories technology easily, ignore the inherent value of the humanities and the pursuit and losses the guiding function of teaching practice.Teaching theories are rational knowledge expressed by means of language about teaching phenomena and problems, which are the logic systems consisted of concept, scope and propositional. The clear concepts and the self-consistentcy of logic are the important factors of scientific teaching theories. However, there are many endless, meaningless arguments in teaching theories in reality because of numerous ambiguous concept and propositions. Therefore, researchers need to seek the adoption of the operational definition of terms, attempt to discover and clarify the fundamental defaults which hide the mutual disputes, introduce the logical to the language ,and express the concepts and proposition by the permission means of modern logic, make the language of teaching theories reflect the logic of the of the structure. With the clearance of concept, logical analysis, theory criticizing, the concept of teaching theories can be relatively clear boundary, proposition clearer, more persuasive argument, but at the same time, we should avoid the isolation of the form and content of teaching theories and fragmentation theory caused by excessive analysis of it.System is a number of things, or some sense interrelated and constitute a whole. To set up the theoretical system of teaching is one of the objectives of teaching and research work, however, the pursuit of teaching theory and system should not be only trapped in the pursuit system, the development of theory building for teaching the "system" and thus ignored the reality of teaching practice and problem attention. The"systematic"of teaching theories refers to the value orientation which pursue the certainty of concepts and propositions during the course of research and construction of teaching theories, paying more attention to the logical relationship between the concept and the concept or the proposition and the proposition, more concerned about the seriousness of the subject system, complete and inclusive in order to bring about a system of systems. This pursuit of building system of teaching theories is regarded as the only or the final purpose of study. This orientation is bound to ignore the reality of teaching practice on the concerns and problems, leading to the grand narrative of teaching theory, difficult to understand, lose the purpose of constructing the teaching theory.The comparison from the methodological view of the construction of teaching theories of the former Soviet Union, the United States, Britain, Germany in a particular period, gives us a clear understanding of construction of teaching theories and the advantages and disadvantages of the methodology. The comparison and analysis of construction of different teaching theories should be objective, but the comparison must be stand on the basic position of China. All the conclusions must also be presented to enter our country the reality of teaching theoretical research, and services the construction of teaching theories in China. As a guide, Based on the history of teaching theories in our country during the past 30 years from the Reform and Open-up policy in China, we collected all the papers related to teaching theories published in eight core periodicals including "Education Research" and made a statistical analysis, trying to find the existence and the crux of the problems in the building of our country's teaching theories. We found that the study of teaching theory in China's construction exists theoretical problems, such as in frequently discussed hot topics, the tedious research tool and unilateral communication, which influence and constrain the teaching theory with Chinese characteristics and the formation of schools and the practice function of teaching theory. Method itself is not good or bad, it is good or bad only to the problem-specific objects and its adoption. During the construction of teaching theories, we must face our own teaching practice, root in the traditions of Chinese culture, obtain the experience and lessons of construction of different peoples and nations teaching theories and learn from each other. It needs to strengthen the awareness of the problem, pursue the autonomy of teaching theories in the study, promote multi-Ways and improve the strict logical demonstration of the theory to improve the standard of construction and development of the teaching theories.