The Practical and reconstructing Chinese pedagogics

This paper explores the relevance and significance of the Practical in Schwab’s the ‘Practical 1’ paper in relation to the reconstruction of pedagogics as an educational discipline in China. It begins with employing Schwab’s medical framework–in terms of symptoms, diagnosis and prescription–to analyse the crisis in Chinese pedagogics, and then articulates what is entailed in reconstructing pedagogics in terms of the Practical as a solution to the crisis. The paper next examines the construction of ‘life-practice’ pedagogics by Professor Ye Lan and associates–a remarkable undertaking which in many respects instantiates the Practical, while not influenced by the thinking of Schwab. It concludes by linking the Practical to the European Pädagogik tradition and Chinese educational wisdom concerning theory development.

[1]  Zongyi Deng.  On Developing Chinese Didactics: A Perspective from the German Didaktik Tradition , 2013 .

[2]  F. Connelly.  Joseph Schwab, curriculum, curriculum studies and educational reform , 2013 .

[3]  Ian Westbury.  Reading Schwab’s the ‘Practical’ as an invitation to a curriculum enquiry , 2013 .

[4]  R. Künzli.  Memorizing a memory: Schwab’s the Practical in a German context , 2013 .

[5]  Zongyi Deng.  Constructing Chinese Didactics (Re)discovering the German Didactics Tradition , 2012 .

[6]  G. Biesta.  Disciplines and theory in the academic study of education: a comparative analysis of the Anglo-American and Continental construction of the field , 2011 .

[7]  Zongyi Deng.  Bringing Curriculum Studies and Padägogik Together , 2011 .

[8]  Zhou Yong.  Reflections on modern China and the progressive power of educational studies , 2011 .

[9]  Yongjie Zhou.  Reflections on modern China and the progressive power of educational studies , 2011 .

[10]  Wu Ya-ping.  Research on Deepening of Quality Education in Schools:A Case Study of School Transformation and Reform of "New Basic Education" , 2011 .

[11]  F. Connelly,et al.  An Overview of Research in Curriculum Inquiry , 2010 .

[12]  L. Ye.  “New Basic Education” and me , 2009 .

[13]  Yu Ze-yuan.  The Comparison and Transcendence of Pedagogical Theory Paradigm:Mainland China as an Example , 2009 .

[14]  Dan Lin,et al.  Difficulties and outlets: On paradigm of China’s pedagogy , 2008 .

[15]  Yong Zhao,et al.  A comparative study of educational research in China and the United States , 2008 .

[16]  Wang Ce-san.  "The New Curriculum Rationale" "Concept Reconstruction Movement" and Kairov's Pedagogy , 2008 .

[17]  F. Connelly,et al.  The Landscape of Curriculum and Instruction: Diversity and Continuity , 2008 .

[18]  William F. Pinar.  Intellectual Advancement Through Disciplinarity: Verticality and Horizontality in Curriculum Studies , 2007 .

[19]  Gunnar Åsén,et al.  Curriculum Theory Revisited. : Studies in Educational Policy and Educational Philosophy , 2007 .

[20]  Thomas D. Curran.  Educational Reform in Republican China: The Failure of Educators to Create a Modern Nation , 2005 .

[21]  R. Yang.  Internationalisation, Indigenisation and Educational Research in China , 2005 .

[22]  Hao Keming,et al.  CULTIVATION OF INNOVATIVE TALENTS AND REFORM OF HIGHER EDUCATION , 2004 .

[23]  Wang Ce-san,et al.  A Critical Reflection on the Thought of “Despising Knowledge" in Chinese Basic Education , 2004 .

[24]  Peter S. Hlebowitsh,et al.  Toward a renaissance in curriculum theory and development in the USA , 2003 .

[25]  Kent McClelland.  Understanding Curriculum: An Introduction to the Study of Historical and Contemporary Curriculum Discourses , 2003 .

[26]  William G. Wraga.  Recovering Curriculum Practice: Continuing the Conversation , 2002 .

[27]  W. Reid.  Curriculum, Community, and Liberal Education: A Response to "The Practical 4.". , 1984 .

[28]  Ian Westbury.  The Character of a Curriculum for a "Practical" Curriculum. , 1972 .

[29]  Joseph J. Schwab.  The Practical: Arts of Eclectic , 1971, The School Review.

[30]  Joseph J. Schwab.  The Practical: A Language for Curriculum , 1969, The School Review.

[31]  Joseph J. Schwab.  College Curriculum and Student Protest , 1969 .