The History, Features, and Prospects of the Chinese Style Teaching Research System

Abstract

The Chinese teaching research system was created, improved, and developed in response to the ongoing process of addressing issues and needs in teaching in China's primary and secondary education system. The teaching research system is an important and integral part of the Chinese approach to managing teaching. Its 70-year course of development can be divided into six periods: initial creation period (1949–1956)–starting from nothing; development period (1957–1965)–gradual improvement; setback period (1966-1976)–at a low ebb; restoration period (1977–1984)–regrouping; standardization period (1985–1999)–great prosperity; improvement period (2000–)–transformation and innovation. The teaching research system developed alongside the changes in China's basic education and the ongoing development of primary and secondary education curricula, teaching materials, and teaching, becoming the core supporting mechanism ensuring reforms to curricula, teaching materials, and teaching, and improving the quality of teaching education, and the professionalization of teachers. The teaching research system has formed a set of relatively mature, improved, and effective multi-level province, city (district, county), and school, teaching research systems, and has formed teaching research groups that have accumulated rich teaching experience, substantial academic achievement, and strong management and leadership capabilities. The teaching research work emerges out of the practical needs of teachers, and its objective is to resolve teachers’ day to day problems encountered in the classroom and in the implementation of the curriculum. The Chinese teaching research system faces new challenges as curriculum reform deepens, the education level and level of professional development of primary and secondary teachers improves, and multimedia technology advances. These changes require a deepening of the work of the teaching research system, demanding greater professionalization, standardization, and scientific backing.

KEYWORDS:

• Basic education
• Chinese education
• teaching reform
• teaching research system

Notes

1 The 1911 “Zuzhi gezhong xuetang zhiyuan lianhehui an” (Proposal to organize various school employee associations) states: “Seeking to advance education, the joint study of people serving as teachers is most important.” Under this background, teacher federations or education study departments were successively established in some provinces and counties. See: Zhou You, et. al., Zhongguo jindai jiaoyu shi ziliao huibian: jiaoyu xingzheng jigou ji jiaoyu tuanti (Collected historical sources on modern Chinese education: education administration organizations and education groups) (Shanghai jiaoyu chubanshe, 1993): 195.

2 The 1941 “Zhongdeng xuexiao geke jiaoxue yanjiuhui zuzhi tongze” (Organizational rules for subject teaching research associations at secondary schools) required that secondary schools organize subject teaching research associations “based on the subjects they have established” including for Chinese, arithmetic, foreign language, society, nature, art, and physical education. See: Song Enrong, Zhang Xian, Zhonghua minguo jiaoyu fagui xuanbian (1912–1949) (Selected education laws of the republic of China (1912–1949)) (Jiangsu jiaoyu chubanshe, 1995): 266–270.

3 The 1942 “Jinjiluyu bianqu xiaoxue zanxing guicheng” (Provisional rules for elementary schools in the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan border region) stipulates: “Elementary schools should establish study groups along with their school district to study childhood life observation and teaching methods…and invite supervisors from superior education administration organs to participate.” See: Central Institute of Education Sciences, Lao jiefangqu jiaoyu ziliao (Education information from former liberated areas) (Jiaoyu kexue chubanshe, 1986): 424.

4 Source comes from a sub-topic group investigation report.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Wei Liang

Wei Liang is a Professor in the Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University.

Litao Lu

Litao Lu is an Associate Professor in the Institute of Curriculum and Pedagogy in the Faculty of Education at Beijing Normal University.

Hongyao Wang

Hongyao Wang is a Lecturer in the College of Educational Sciences at Luoyang Normal University.