On The Evolution Of Science Curriculum For Primary Schools In China In Recent Times

Curriculum is the core of school education. It is over one hundred years from the educational system of Gui and Mao issued in 1904 and begun setting of Science Curriculum until right now. As gradually deepen reforming of basic education curriculum, quality education becomes the main part of it. It has significant historical nd practical meaning to review and discuss the developing evolvement history of science curriculum in recent times in China. This paper is the important task of school science education reform that needs further study. It has important theoretical and practical value. This paper has important guidance for teaching practice. It has vital reference value for science curriculum reform at present and future.The time range of this research is from 1904 until now, there are more than 100 years. According to educational system, curriculum planning and curriculum standard of primary schools issued by Chinese Governments in recent times, the author makes systemic descriptions and analysis on the course of developing evolvement of science curriculum over one hundred years in recent times through the method of document and comparative study. Based on it, the historical experience and lesson of science curriculum developing evolvement are discussed, and prospect on Chinese characteristic science curriculum in the future are made.The long history could be divided into four stages: the stage of learning from Japan, learning from America, learning from Soviet Union and developing independently, influencing by all kinds of curriculum theories in many countries. At every stage, we analyze the set, the aims and the contents of primary science curriculum. and simply discuss the characteristics of the science textbooks.The result shows that,1.The educational system of Gui and Mao issued in 1904 is symbol of science curriculum in recent times in China, and makes it appearance formally in historical stage. However, before this, science curriculum in mission school and reformer opinion of bourgeois establishes the theoretical and practical bases for curriculum set by educational system of Gui and Mao. This is the source of our science curriculum in recent times. The science curriculum of the period imitated Japanese and was influenced by Herbart's curriculum thoughts.2. The educational system and curriculum reformed in 1922 lays the modern foundation of Chinese primary science curriculum, and is the landmark of our science curriculum development. It realized a jump from Gezhi to Nature Studies. From then on, China began to learn from America and was influenced by pragmatism of John Dewey. On the efforts of well—known educator and science educators, our science curriculum has changed from simple imitation during Kuomintang dominion to developing phase of self creation. With the perfection of educational system, science curriculum walks up to the scientific and international developing ways.3. Primary science curriculum of the beginning of new China has left the brilliant page in the course of science curriculum development and has turned to learn from Soviet Union, which is the second turn. The primary science curriculum has been influenced by Kairov's educational theories which are knowledge-centered, the logic of the knowledge is paid attention, and children are ignored. Since the Chinese-soviet relationship was broken, we have entered the stage of native exploration. But the Kairov's educational theories have still had a great influence on our primary science curriculum. During the ten years of "Culture Revolution", the curriculum was heavily twisted.4. Since the policy of the opening and reforming, our primary science curriculum has experienced the stage of transition, established the science curriculum system of our own and entered into the period influenced by multiple curriculum theories-face to the world at a new starting point. At the turn of the century, the quality education-centered basic education curriculum reform started. The Chinese primary science curriculum changed from "Nature Studies " to "Science ",from "teaching the basic nature knowledge" to "cultivating the scientific literacy of children".5. The developing evolvement of our science curriculum in recent times is deeply influenced and restricted by social factors such as national economy policy and culture. Different times, backgrounds and dominant class establishes different characters of science curriculum. Opening and importing have important promoting function on developing evolvement of science curriculum.6. Society, children and knowledge as three factors of external drive promote the developing evolvement of science curriculum in recent times in China, but external drive can only play function through mechanism of internal drive, and form the internal logic of science curriculum evolvement.7.Unity and flexibility of science curriculum is a Pair contravention of contrary and unity, both are the reflection of social, children and knowledge development. The basic tendency of our science curriculum is to increase flexibility farther.8.The development of science curriculum over a hundred years experiences the course and shows the developing tendency of borrowism- native exploration - re-internationalization.9. Over one hundred years development, the content and the objective of science curriculum have made great progress. But this is the first step of the long March; the theoretical establishment of our Chinese primary science curriculum still has a long way to go.