Chen Heqin’s ‘Living Education’ theory in Shanghai: Historical inspirations for teacher professional development 上海教育家办学的历史经验——以陈鹤琴“活教育”探索为个案

• In Event: Chinese roundtable II (Sponsored by SIG: East Asia)
  In Chinese Round-table Session: Teacher professional development: the Shanghai model 教师专业发展的上海模式

Proposal

Graduated from the Teachers College of Columbia University in 1918, Chen Heqin (1892-1982) started his career with specific foci on the theoretical and practical development of modern education and child psychology in China, and soon became a pioneer and leader in these fields. As a student of John Dewey, he considerably promoted Dewey’s ‘Life Education’ theory in China, which obtained massive popularity among Chinese education scholars and were introduced to teachers even during the wartime. In the light of Dewey’s thoughts, he created a systematic theoretical framework for the Chinese adaptation and developed modern early childhood education in China, and accumulated a plenty of practical experience from establishing and operating kindergartens and schools in Shanghai as well as other cities. On this basis, he proposed a theory of ‘Living Education’ (shenghuo jiaoyu), which has profoundly influenced China’s educational theory and practice to this day.

This paper is concerned with the development of Chen’s ‘Living Education’ theory in Shanghai. Through detailed historical investigation, it aims to provide a systematic analysis of the theory, and in particular the ‘experiment of multi-dimensioned school operation’ (duowei banxue) and corresponding mechanisms of teacher professional development inspired by the theory. This analysis is based on the understanding of Chen’s creative ‘borrowing’ of Dewey’s theory and the adaption and indigenization of the ‘borrowed’ theory in the Chinese context. This paper proceeds as follows. First, it explores Chen’s perception and promotion of Dewey’s theory in China. Second, it analyses his efforts to indigenize Dewey’s theory on the basis of Shanghai’s local experience. The third part of this paper reflects on how Chen’s ‘Living Education’ theory went beyond Dewey’s ‘Life Education’ theory. Fourth, it discusses the dissemination of the Shanghai-based ‘Living Education’ theory and its sustainable implications for teacher professional development in China.

These investigations illustrate the historical experience of Shanghai education system in general and its teacher professional development in specific. It is of significance for the in-depth comparison between the USA and China in terms of educational theories and ideas, and for a better understanding of the historical development of the Shanghai model and its present meaning.

Author

• Shuguang Huang, East China Normal University