Pragmatism and Curriculum Reform in China: How America Comes to China

• In Event: Studying Curriculum Reform: China Comes to America While America Leaves

Abstract

On April 30th, 1919, John Dewey began his 26 month visit in China, giving more than 200 lectures all over China. He was invited by Beijing University, Nanjing Normal University, Shangzhi Acedemic Association and some other influential educational associations, which were all chaired by his Chinese students and fans.

Those students and fans, including Hu Shi, Jiang Menglin, Tao Xingzhi, Liang Qichao, and Cai Yuanpei, were among the most influential educators and leading intellectuals during that historical period in China. For example, Cai Yunpei was the president of Beijing University and had been the Minister of Education. They and other Dewey’s followers began to introduce Dewey’s Pragmatism into China long before his visit in 1919.

The influence of pragmatism on education in China reached its peak in National educational system and curriculum reform named “Renzi Kuimao Xuezhi” in 1922, which was drafted by Hu Shi and his fellows. This reform follows the American educational system, with 6 years of primary, 3 years of junior high school, and 3 years of senior high school basic education, and the curriculum guideline full of pragmatism dogma.

The influence of Pragmatism on Chinese educational policy and curriculum was questioned and revised by the Guoming Party in 1927 and 1930. While after 1949, along with the communist party took over the country, the curriculum models were replaced by the Soviet multi-technological model by the government, and pragmatism was criticized as “evil capitalist” thoughts.

1978’s Open policy by CPC, which allowed the freedom of intellectuals, caused a re-evaluation and re-introduce of Pragmatism, along with the quality education (Suzhi jiao yu) Slogan. In 2000, a new curriculum reform, which is regarded as the largest scale and most profound curriculum reform, was launched the Ministry of Education( Zhong Qiquan, 2001). This reform was strongly influenced by pragmatism, including the aims of curriculum reform, the structure of curriculum, the new form of curriculum “comprehensive activities” and “learning by doing research”, the suggestion of teaching methods and so on. During the process of developing the curriculum reform guideline, two scholars played important roles. One is Zhong Qiquan, who was the leader of experts group for developing the curriculum guideline, and another is Zhang Hua, who was the main composer of the most important of the curriculum guideline. Both of them very much appreciated student-based pragmatism curriculum.
The story of pragmatism’s influence on curriculum reform in China, could be explained as a discursive practice, which could be analyzed by asking such questions as: “Who is talking?” “What is the place and context for their voices?”, “Is it accepted and circulated by more people?” and “How did their voices become social practice?” The analysis of pragmatism in Chinese curriculum reform in response to these questions will address the broader question regarding what kind of people should be made under the practice of this particular discourse----pragmatism.

Author

• Wenjun Zhang, Zhejiang University