The New Probe Of Dalton Plan

During the period from the end of 19th century to the beginning of 20thcentury, the main capitalism in western transferred from the free capitalism to theimperialism. And then the United States quickly became a powerful country in politiesand economy. The rapid development of economy also expressed in the requirement ofhigh-quality workers during the period of industrialization. At that time, theshortcomings of the traditional education, Johann Friedrich Herbart's theories being therepresentation, began to appear gradually. So some American educationalists tried toreform the traditional education. Helen Parkhurst, a famous American educator,established "Dalton Plan" which has three basic principles (freedom, cooperation andtime budget) and some characteristic training ways in school (Laboratory, research topicor be called the target explicit homework mission and classroom) and which not onlyplayed an important role in the Euro-American education reform at that time but alsoaffected China at the beginning of 20th century.To review the process while "Dalton Plan" spread in China, we may find somepoints from which we can still benefit from today:1. "Dalton Plan" changed the traditional teaching method and advocated thestudents to study with a research manner.2. "Dalton Plan" is carded out under a certain free environment with comparativelysystematic planning.3. "Dalton Plan" offers the students the freedom of studying independently, whichcan help students cultivate an independent spirit and fully develop a good habit ofstudying by oneself. 4. "Dalton Plan" has realized the difference teaching to a certain extent, which wasdenied or neglected to a certain degree in the former education history book or papers inthe field. Therefore, it has an important theory value and practice significance tore-study this teaching system.Actaully, we could find that the effects of "Dalton Plan" was not as good as whatthe media publisied through two typical experiments(Experiment of Shanghai WusongMiddle School and Attached Middle School of Southeast University) carried out in 1920s This paper deeply analyzes the effects of "Dalton Plan" spreading in China andmake conclusions as follows:1. It maintains inner contradiction in principle which mainly shows in two aspects.On one hand, from the viewpoint of innovation to present educational system, it retainsclassroom teaching method constructional outline and curriculum plan, but onlyabolishes class schedule. All of these to some degree show its comparativeconservativeness. On the other hand, it views cooperation and social consciousness asits principle, but it reveals too much tendency of liberalism and children-centred. That isto say, although its concrete practice is mild, its guiding ideology is more radical.2. The limitation of "Dalton Plan" itself is mainly displayed in these respects:being hard to face all students; because of its exaggeration of students' subjectiveinitiative, its freedom principle is abused by some students reasonably. So that, thosestudents can not be tested in normal way.3. The realistic problems appearing in experimental course are largely displayed inincreasing work load of teachers, in teaching order being mixed, in being unable toprovide a good studying environment to students, in overestimating students'consciousness and so on.4. There are three external elements which interrupted its proceeding, funds,faculty and facility, and cultural differenceSuch a detailed analysis give us a better understanding of "Dalton Plan" andvaluable suggestions for future study.