Chinese Teachers as Intellectuals: Tracing the Ancient Roots of Collective Teaching Study in China from Sociality to Individuality

Abstract

Collective teaching study for teachers in Chinese primary and secondary schools plays an important role in promoting the quality of basic education, and is a major characteristic of Chinese education. This paper looks at the collective study of teaching by Chinese teachers as a product of the historical and cultural traditions particular to China, and also incorporates historical sources to explain the origins, development, and formation of this tradition. The paper further discusses the challenges facing collective teaching study for Chinese teachers by analyzing the changes underlying modern Chinese society and culture.

Key words:

• teachers
• teaching study
• history
• Chinese culture

Notes

1 On December 6, 1947, the Russian federal Ministry of Education issued an “Order on Pedagogical Study Work for Teachers” with an attached “Work Rules for Primary and Secondary Pedagogy Study” that required “All teachers, regardless of length of service, education level, or work quality, must participate in pedagogical study work.” (Translation Office of the People's Republic of China Ministry of Education, Translation Office of the Beijing Normal University Pedagogy Study Office, Sulian putong jiaoyufa ling xuanyi (Selected translations of Soviet universal pedagogy orders) (Beijing: Renmin jiaoyu chubanshe, 1955): 320–342.

2 Sishu is a type of traditional school established in China. Those schools were usually run by individual teachers, also known as old-style private schools.

3 Joint debates were related to school teaching and academic activities. There are many famous joint debates in history, with the earlier ones being the “Zhu-Zhang Joint Debate” of the third year of the Southern Song Qiandao era (1167) and the “Ehu Debate” of the second year of the Chunxi era (1175). After the rise of Wang Yangming's neo-Confucianism during the Ming, joint debates became even more popular and gradually became systematized. Joint debates were related to school teaching and academic activities. There are many famous joint debates in history, with the earlier ones being the “Zhu-Zhang Joint Debate” of the third year of the Southern Song Qiandao era (1167) and the “Ehu Debate” of the second year of the Chunxi era (1175). After the rise of Wang Yangming's neo-Confucianism during the Ming, joint debates became even more popular and gradually became systematized.

4 As early as the 1950s, when the Ministry of Education started to standardize teaching study group activities, some people recognized that even though some schools formerly had set up “teaching study associations,” under the rule of the Kuomintang, teachers “were not organized to help each other, but rather all taught in their own way and did their own thing, and some even formed little groups and factions and were disunified.” (Zhang Ruxin, “Muqian daxue jiaoyu gongzuo zhong de liangge zhongyao wenti” (Two important problems in current university teaching work), Renmin ribao (People's daily), 1951-2-4 (3)).

Additional information

Funding

This paper was supported by the National Office for Education Sciences Planning of China (Project No.: BBA160015).

Notes on contributors

Liyong Zhang

Liyong Zhang is a research associate professor at the Faculty of Education, East China Normal University.

Jianjun Wang

Jianjun Wang is an associate professor at the Faculty of Education, East China Normal University.

Licui Chen

Licui Chen is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Faculty of Education, East China Normal University.