A Study On James Bryant Conant's Ideas And Practices Of General Education In University

James Bryant Conant, one of the outstanding scientists, statesmen and educationalists in the mid-age of the twentieth century, has won the eminent historical status for his deep and wide involvement in many great events. In all the events, Conant's educational thoughts and his momentous influences on the reform of education in America made him important in American educational history. In the middle of the 20th century, aiming at the problems of American education, Conant stressed on strengthening general education and took a set of measures. Conant's many effective reform suggestions and innovations are dazzling in his pursuit of the improving educational quality and equal opportunity.Through documentation method, comparative method, analyzing and so on, the dissertation analyzes the innovation in Havard, exhibited Conant's ideas of general education and the suggestions of innovation, and evaluated his educational thoughts and his influences objectively. Though Conant's educational thoughts have some deficiencies, the study will not only deepen and extend the understanding of Conant's ideas of general education, but also can elicit the experiences or lessons that direct our educational practices of the time.This study has seven parts:The first part shows brief information on Conant's life and his experience on education. The second part analyzes the background and theoretical principle based on which his ideas came out. In the third part, the social environment and his philosophical theories are mainly analyzed. The fourth part systematically inquires into Conant's ideas of general education, including setting up a set of courses in different fields, innovating the enrolling and promoting methods, adopting tutorial and advising. According to the above parts, the fifth part objectively evaluates his ideas'advantages and disadvantages. The sixth part refers to the influence Conant's ideas made. The last part investigates the significance of Conant's ideas of general education. They are as follows: firstly, paying attention to complicated development and cultivating humanism accomplishment; secondly, attaching great importance to general educational courses and completing professional courses; thirdly, understanding of the obligations of the citizens and training qualified citizen; fourthly, strengthening the quality of teachers and insisting on selecting the better teachers and eliminating the worse teachers.