The Meta-postulate Of Curriculum In American Schools

Recently,China has learned more from the curriculum theory and practice model in America.It is necessary to clarify the values and the meta-postulate of curriculum in American schools.The curriculum meta-postulate,as a set of supporting assumptions behind the curriculum itself and its manipulators,and an embedded system of value intrinsic,is the basis for the initial formation of the curriculum and the reasons for its existence,which mainly devoted to answering the core question of “why the curriculum in American schools is like this now?”.According to the research paradigm of “meta” and the theoretical basis of “the sociology of knowledge”,the meta-postulate of curriculum in American schools can be put into the field of sociology and politics,which can help to find out the value load of the curriculum between different interest groups and powers through the appearance of curriculum power game,to clarify the content elements,structural framework,and influencing mechanisms of the meta-postulate of curriculum in American schools.Based on “the triangular coordination model” of Clark,puritanism,academic,market and national power can be used as the representative powers in power game of American schools.Puritanism power can participate in the power games through direct action and leadership thought.Academic power can participate in the power games through direct advocacy,indirect pressure,and financial intervention.Market power can participate in the power game through positive management and reverse reversal.National power can participate in the power game through legal enforcement,grant support,and official prestige guidance.Based on theoretical analysis,this study has divided the history of the Americancurriculum from the colonial period into four major stages by the standard of whether or not the four power participating in the power game of curriculum.In addition,the four major stages are further divided into ten periods,which based on the degree of participation of various powers in each stage.Many four powers-triangular pyramid game models have been built to characterize the differences of each power in different periods.This study longitudinal connect different main points in different periods into historical line of curriculum power game,clarify power compromises and benefit sharing between different powers under different social and historical backgrounds,and explore internal logic of the four powers from lateral counterbalances to four powers-equilibrium.At the same time,many four powers-triangular pyramid game models are put into a concentric ball system with different ball radii by these running tracks basing on “history and space compression”.In this way,the four power change from the balance of the plane to the three-dimensional Nash dynamic equilibrium.Based on this dynamic equilibrium state,the puritanism power has the core values of Puritanism,the academic power owns the core values of Scientism,and market power and national power have the core values of Puritanism.These three core values all play the role of internal driving forces in the power games of curriculum and their final practice appeals in curriculum reform.Therefore,Puritanism,Scientism,and Pragmatism are the essence values behind the American curriculum quintessence,that is,the content elements of the meta-postulate of curriculum in American schools.At the same time,the structural framework of the meta-postulate of curriculum in American schools is derived,basing on the intrinsic relationship between the three core values,which composed of the driving force of Puritanism,the goals of Pragmatism and the route of Scientism.With this structure,the dynamic mechanism that consisted of American society and educational issues,the security mechanism that consisted of cultural concepts,institutional norms and resources and operational mechanism that consisted of education objectives,schools and teachers,curriculum settings,curriculum standards and teaching materials can be explored,which can constitute theinfluence mechanism of the meta-postulate of curriculum in American schools as well.Through the above analysis,this study proposes four suggestions:(1)Defining the ideological nature of the curriculum and avoiding the “simple use” in symbiosis,(2)Broadening the institutional arrangement of curriculum provision and balancing the multi-powers of the curriculum,(3)Exploring the unique meta-postulate of curriculum in China and accelerating the paradigm transition in curriculum development,(4)Integrating socialist core values and determining the value and methodology of curriculum development.In this way,a clear understanding of the cultural ecology and development origin of American curriculum can be realized,and a clear definition of the “meaningful space” between the Chinese culture and the American culture can be explored,which may carve a development path with Chinese characteristics for the curriculum reform in China.