The Turn Of Approach To Social Realism In The Sociology Of Curriculum

The problem of the view of knowledge is the core issue of education theory and curriculum reform.All activities in the field of school education are carried out around the selection,organization,transmission and evaluation of knowledge.Under the current practice of deepening curriculum reform comprehensively,rethinking the knowledge problem in school education is of great significance for us to understand school education.The sociology of curriculum provides a unique perspective for deepening our understanding of the view of knowledge.Since the 1970 s,the issue of knowledge in education has been the focus of research in the field of sociology.However,sociology of curriculum gradually showed a tendency to reflect on existing research in the late 1990 s.Some scholars hope to replace the research orientation of "social constructivism" with "social realism" and advocate the "knowledge turn" of curriculum and educational research.Based on the above trends,this thesis explores the "social realism" as the research object.Firstly,this thesis mainly analyzes the view of knowledge under the orientation of social constructivism in sociology of curriculum.This view of knowledge emphasizes that curriculum knowledge is not objectively neutral but the result of social construction.Although the view of knowledge under the orientation of social constructivism has important value for curriculum research,it also brings some serious consequences,that is,knowledge is reduced to power relationship and the objectivity of knowledge is obscured.Secondly,this thesis based on the reflection of social constructivism summarizes what social realism mean and why some scholars advocate the shift from social constructivism to social realism.Social realism recognizes the sociality of knowledge,but at the same time it advocates that knowledge is also objective reality.The sociality and the objectivity of knowledge are not irreconcilable.On the contrary,it is the unique model of sociality in the field of knowledge production(ie,the disciplinary communities)that ensures the objectivity and truth proposition of curriculum knowledge.The practical effect and theoretical reflection of curriculum reform provide the possibility and necessity for the research orientation of sociology of curriculum from social constructivism to social realism.Thirdly,this thesis discusses the forward direction of curriculum research under the orientation of social realism from the two aspects of curriculum theory and curriculum practice.As far as curriculum theory is concerned,the problem of knowledge differentiation should be the central theoretical topic of sociology of curriculum.The research on the social attributes of the practice of knowledge production in disciplinary community is also the future research direction of sociology of curriculum.In terms of curriculum practice,no matter the national curriculum standards and curriculum programs on the macro-level or the school-based curriculum development on the micro-level,schools should focus on the differentiation between school knowledge and students' everyday knowledge,and establish a knowledge-based curriculum system.Finally,this thesis expounds the significance and value of the social realism in sociology of curriculum for the school reform.One of the important functions of school education is to impart theoretical knowledge in subjects,which is the key function to distinguish the school education from other specialized institutions in modern society.Social realism suggests school education should select knowledge-based courses,and that school teachers' teaching should pay more attention to the disciplinary concepts in subjects,and that teachers' professional knowledge should overcome the challenge posed by the gap between subject knowledge and students' everyday knowledge.