A Study On Ellen Key's Educational Thinking

In the 19th century and early 20th century Europe and the United States formed a sweeping new outlook on education, known as "the child-centered approach." The theoretical basis of this idea was from Rousseau and others's natural educational advocate. Such ideas opposed to the traditional formalism education, stressed that the principle of freedom in education should be reflected in practice, the child's interest should be the centre of the teaching process, to advocate for children's free development, and give full play to the child's personality characteristics, enthusiasm and creativity. Ellen Key's thinking was a representative one in the child-centered approach.Ellen Key (1849-1926)was an outstanding author, the woman movement activists and educators. She lived mainly in writing, teaching and social advocacy activities, her centre was the emancipation of women and children's rights and education. She considered that men and women should enjoy equal political and the right to education, but also gender, love, marriage, and moral issues, such as the quality of the wide-ranging and radical views. Her education related works mainly include "The Century of the Child" (1899), "The Woman Movement" (1902), "The Rejuvenation of Motherhood", "Love and Marriage".Among them, "The Century of the Child " was her representative of an important part of education. Ellen Key's ideological education was one of the important forces in the new education campaign. To a certain extent, her efforts made children a matter of concern. Not only Sweden had brought a number of national education reform, but also to other countries in the world had also a broad impact.On the basis of criticism of the old ideas and old education, Ellen Key formed the free educational thinking. Her thinking first and foremost through the woman movement, women obtain equality with men and the right personality, which made the metal-flesh love possible, but also for the happy marriage and the family laid the foundation - all this "new life" or "new breed" had been well prepared for the birth. Liberal Education on the implementation of the specific ideas in under such conditions, the return of the mother of family education and the future of schools education. There were many areas in her thinking still to worth us to think and learn from.However, it has been more than a century since her thinking has been forgotten. What she had shouted it fist of the new family, new society, new human, it's still not a reality. In the 21st century, despite several times of educational reform, they still ignore children's nature and deny children's personality; women still ignore their bounden duty , leave the family even more to abandon her mother's rights. This paper attempts through her writings and research on her, to analysis Ellen Key's life and life experiences for, in-depth study to Ellen Key's concept of education. Mainly form her "The Century of the Child ", so as to give advise to our family education, school education, as well as reform of the education system for reference.This paper is divided into seven parts.Introduction of this paper described the purpose of the study, analysis of the current study on Ellen Key's educational thinking, the results of research, and introduced the research methods. The second part is about Ellen Key's life background, and introduced the major activities of her life and writings. The third part is about the process of ideological formation of her education, as well as the basis of her educational theory: life, and improvement of race, motherhood concept and the concept of love and marriage. Part IV discusses her liberal education theory, including the role of education, the principle of free education, and its requirements. Next part of the fifth and sixth part is the concrete implementation of the liberal education. Part V discusses Ellen Key's family education theory. She criticized the family in the context of industrial era, at the same time, pointed out the need to establish the ideal family, which mothers returned to the family, and the family took up the task of education. It also summarized the characteristics of her family education. Part VI is Ellen Kay's school education theory. First introduced her perspective on early childhood education institutions, and then focus on her vision for the future school, including the future school's environment, methods, systems, as well as teacher requirements, and so on. Conclusion is in the last part. It is mainly to evaluate Ellen Key's educational thinking, including the progress and the lack of it. It also discusses the influence of her ideas, and what we can be enlighted and learned from her.