Chinese Education: Research and Review, Issue 7

Author: Ding Gang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: In this paper, the author reflects on his subjective state—thoughts, planning, actions, and insights—during the "New Basic Education" research as a researcher actively responding to social transformation in the field of education. The origins of the "New Basic Education" research are rooted in the author's theoretical foundation in basic educational theory, educational research methodology, and meta-research in the field of education over the past decade, as well as three years of field research experience and deep contemplation on the nature of China's social changes at the end of the 20th century. As a reconstructive study of educational theory and practice, the "New Basic Education" research, in its exploratory phase, sets "goal reconstruction" as its theoretical starting point, takes schools implementing nine-year compulsory education as the overall unit of practical research, selects educational and teaching reforms organized by class as the internal experimental reform projects within schools, and addresses the relationship between theoretical research and practical research, as well as the relationship between theoretical workers and practical workers, as the core methodological issue. In this paper, the author reflects on his subjective state—thoughts, planning, actions, and insights—during the "New Basic Education" research as a researcher actively responding to social transformation in the field of education. The origins of the "New Basic Education" research are rooted in the author's theoretical foundation in basic educational theory, educational research methodology, and meta-research in the field of education over the past decade, as well as three years of field research experience and deep contemplation on the nature of China's social changes at the end of the 20th century. As a reconstructive study of educational theory and practice, the "New Basic Education" research, in its exploratory phase, sets "goal reconstruction" as its theoretical starting point, takes schools implementing nine-year compulsory education as the overall unit of practical research, selects educational and teaching reforms organized by class as the internal experimental reform projects within schools, and addresses the relationship between theoretical research and practical research, as well as the relationship between theoretical workers and practical workers, as the core methodological issue.