"You learned love, laughter and how to walk from your parents. But as soon as you open the book, you will find that you have wings. " Textbooks to help students grow up are a pair of heavy "wings" with constant problems and disputes. How to rationally understand the present situation and problems of teaching materials? What are the root causes of these problems? Under the current market mechanism, educational system and cultural environment, what can be done to write better teaching materials for children and make them become lighter and more powerful wings for growth? What changes and adjustments should be made to our educational concept? In this issue of Current Affairs Watch, we interviewed Mr. Wen Rumin, a professor of Chinese Department in Peking University and director of China Institute of Education, to gather opinions from all sides and discuss this issue together.
Find out the problem and the way out-
The biggest deficiency is the lack of "gradient"
Controversy about teaching materials often focuses on Chinese teaching materials. Some people think that there are "four defects" in the current Chinese textbooks, namely, the lack of classics, the lack of children's perspective, the lack of happiness and the lack of facts. Some people even think that the current textbooks are full of falsehood, preaching and tampering, which should be completely denied and reinvented. How to objectively evaluate the achievements and problems of current textbooks?
Wen Rumin: Since the founding of New China more than 60 years ago, the textbooks for primary and secondary schools in the first 50 years have been compiled by the whole country. In recent years, more than one syllabus has been implemented, that is, under the guidance of curriculum standards, it is compiled by some powerful publishing houses and can only be published after being examined and approved by the National Primary and Secondary School Textbooks Examination and Approval Committee. In principle, regions or schools have the initiative to choose which version of textbooks to use. At present, there are more than ten Chinese textbooks for primary schools, eight for junior high schools and five for senior high schools.
In fact, there are differences in writing styles and selections of various teaching materials, and there are also great differences in coverage and popularity. Some media criticized China's textbooks for being general, which were at best "examples". They seldom make a comprehensive survey of all kinds of teaching materials, and there is no quantitative analysis, so it is inevitable to generalize. It is unfair to say that "current textbooks are full of falsehood, preaching and tampering". It is not true to say that the existing Chinese textbooks are "lack of classics". Take five new Chinese textbooks for senior high school and eight new Chinese textbooks for junior high school, the proportion of using classic works is more than half, and the proportion of using classic texts for senior high school Chinese textbooks published by People's Education Press is 70%. You can criticize "this is not enough", and you can also suggest which classics can be uploaded and which can be downloaded, but it is not appropriate to criticize it as "the lack of classics" in general. At present, the relevant institutions are organizing a large-scale survey on the use of popular teaching materials. As far as I know, most front-line teachers are active in coordinating teaching materials with curriculum reform.
What are the new changes in the current Chinese textbooks for primary and secondary schools? What is your overall evaluation of the gains and losses of the current Chinese textbooks?
Wen Rumin: Compared with the previous textbooks, the existing Chinese textbooks generally emphasize humanism and try to mobilize students' initiative and creativity. For example, the design of question inquiry (thinking questions) pays attention to multiple choices, is close to students' Chinese life, and cultivates open thinking. Each class has a reading link or an extended bibliography for interested students to explore after class. These are all new changes and reflect the spirit of curriculum reform.
On the other hand, there are indeed many problems, and some criticisms from the media are pertinent. In particular, some versions of primary school textbooks, including text selection and question design for teachers, pay insufficient attention to children's psychology, and the design of reading guidance and question and answer is too didactic. The so-called ideological expression is often blunt and even tends to be pan-moralized. Other words were deleted too casually. The criticism of Chinese textbooks in the society mostly revolves around the selection of texts, and which works can be selected and which ones are not necessarily selected can be discussed.
I think the biggest deficiency in compiling Chinese textbooks at present is not the selection of texts, but the general lack of "gradient". Previous textbooks generally paid attention to "gradient", and the arrangement of texts, knowledge points and exercises before, during and after a semester of each study period, grade and even a semester formed a gradual and spiraling clue according to the depth. However, the existing style of many new Chinese textbooks has changed, that is, the frame structure of "theme unit" is adopted, and the theme affects the whole curriculum plan. For example, some junior high school textbooks have six volumes in three years, and make great efforts to list twenty or thirty units such as feelings of home country, songs of home country, praise of life, good and evil conduct, artistic perception, getting close to nature, paying attention to current affairs, and the light of science. There are three or four texts in each unit, arranged according to the theme type. Naturally, the selection of texts is mainly based on the needs of the theme, and there should be language learning between units. At present, most of the textbooks of compulsory Chinese courses in senior high schools adopt the framework of theme units, and some even repeat some existing "themes" in junior high schools, shortening the time of compulsory courses to more than one academic year, not to mention "gradient". Dividing teaching units or segments by theme often only pays attention to one thing, and seldom considers the difficulty coefficient and teaching applicability, so it is difficult to reflect the progressive law of Chinese teaching from shallow to deep. This is an urgent need for improvement.
Distinguish between history and reality—
Textbook compilation needs "integrity and innovation"
Recently, an enlightened set of Mandarin textbooks has become quite popular. The popularity of "old textbooks" reflects the social demand for good textbooks and the problems existing in current textbooks. What enlightenment does "old textbooks" bring to the compilation of future textbooks?
Wen Rumin: An Enlightened Mandarin Reader is a set of primary school textbooks compiled by Mr. Ye Shengtao in the early 1930s, and it is also one of the best textbooks in the Republic of China. This set of teaching materials respects children's nature and is suitable for children. Mr. Feng Zikai's illustrations are full of childlike interest, and few adults preach. Text and design are gradual and follow the cognitive law of language acquisition. These are all worth learning by our textbook writers today. But after all, it is a textbook more than 70 years ago, suitable for children of that era to learn. Nowadays, great changes have taken place in society. Children have to accept many new things and knowledge that may not have existed in the past since childhood. Textbooks must meet the needs of today's times, and the compilation of this set of textbooks cannot be copied. After all, there is education in an era.
Rereading Enlightened Mandarin Reader and Chinese Class 108, we deeply admire the mind, interest and knowledge of Mr. Ye Shengtao's generation of educators. At the same time, we feel that it is more difficult and binding for people to compile teaching materials now than in the past. The textbooks compiled by Ye Sheng are basically the spontaneous actions of the people, and they can freely play their own educational ideas. After publication, teachers and students can choose, the society can evaluate, and there is little external interference. At that time, the scale of education was also very small, but the release and publication of teaching materials were completely free competition, and the society would not form too much public pressure on the compilation of teaching materials. At present, the scale of education is huge and the social attention is high. It is often a "political issue" or a "public event", so the education department has to strictly manage it. Even if there is more than one syllabus, the compilation of teaching materials is basically an "official" behavior, not personal writing. The expectation of the society, the requirement of the education department, and the squeeze of the competition of commercial interests of publishing houses, the freedom of writing teams is actually very small, and they can only do balanced work in many cases. This is a problem of system and national conditions, which fundamentally restricts the quality of textbook compilation. Although it is difficult to solve, it is necessary to continuously promote the reform and gradually create a more relaxed environment for the discussion of educational theories and the compilation of teaching materials.
In fact, teaching materials have been adapting to the development and changes of the times. For example, the topic of environmental protection was not involved in textbooks more than 20 years ago. In the revision of Chinese textbooks published by People's Education Publishing House in 2000, the content about environmental protection was added. With the rapid development of economy and society today, how can teaching materials meet the needs of both teaching and reality, taking into account stability and change?
Wen Rumin: The teaching materials should be relatively stable. It is not advisable to change it all the time, because it is changed too frequently. There is a process of adaptation and preparation for front-line teachers to use new textbooks, and too many changes will cause them great difficulties. Of course, in the process of using the teaching materials, some changes can be made timely and appropriately according to the feedback from teaching practice. The compilation of teaching materials needs continuous accumulation, the intervention of research methods of related disciplines, and the innovation and flexibility with the changes of the times. In my opinion, the phrase "keeping integrity and innovating" can be used as the criterion for compiling and revising textbooks at present. Advocating the idea of "opposing China" and subverting everything and "turning sesame seeds" will not work, nor will it solve the problem. Chinese curriculum reform is very difficult. What is most needed now is solid investigation and scientific and meticulous research, not just impressionistic criticism. It is easy to shout slogans or write happy articles in China, but it is much more difficult to reform. Even an inch of reform in the field of education requires hard work. It is better to put forward constructive suggestions in combination with reality.
Open textbooks and teaching methods-
Get out of the misunderstanding of utilitarianism and technology
From the perspective of educational practice, it is also very important to use teaching materials and adopt educational methods that conform to educational laws. Many children's boredom and evasion of Chinese courses are largely related to unscientific teaching methods. How to change educational concepts, improve educational methods and promote the positive interaction between teaching materials and teaching methods?
Wen Rumin: If the textbook is compared to a recipe, then the teacher is the "chef" in the classroom. The poor cooking of "food" makes me sick. Don't always blame recipes, but look at the cooking skills of the "chef". According to my observation and research on Chinese classroom for many years, the unqualified "chef" is very important to the teaching effect. Therefore, I am very much in favor of the state to increase investment and implement the "National Training Plan" to train all teachers. On the one hand, the work to be done now is to revise the teaching materials, on the other hand, it is necessary to improve teachers' quality and teaching level, reform teaching concepts and methods, and make good use of the teaching materials as much as possible.
When we talk about textbooks, we should not forget that there is a serious utilitarian tendency in Chinese teaching at present. Why not say gradient? In addition to the problems in compiling textbooks, the deeper reason is utilitarian mentality. They all aim at exams, are very utilitarian and anxious, and are all engaged in "advance quantity" to increase the teaching difficulty at will. In the past, the tension of the college entrance examination only appeared after the second year of high school, and now the first year of high school has entered a tense preparation. Even junior high school students are always reminded how to prepare for the college entrance examination, and some high school classes are moved to junior high school. This tension has also spread to primary schools, and even kindergartens and preschool classes are engaged in "advance quantity". Some preschool classes require children to know 3000 Chinese characters, which is quite serious. In view of this, the revision of Chinese curriculum standards re-emphasizes the gradient of teaching, and also aims to curb utilitarian anxiety. This is very worthy of attention. It seems that "gradient" is not entirely a textbook and teaching problem, but an overall problem related to the whole basic education. How to implement the spirit and requirements of Chinese curriculum standards, respect the laws of education, and not be eager for quick success and instant benefit is a difficult problem for the whole society.
Another bad tendency of Chinese teaching is technicalization. The main manifestations are: stylized preparation of lessons, more lectures, less recitation, too trivial lectures, and the appreciation of American literature has become a cold technical analysis, even a reaction to exam-taking skills; Too much emphasis on the training of writing skills, rather than working hard to guide aesthetics and expression; Composition teaching is all aimed at the senior high school entrance examination, and the "routine" practice with model essay analysis as the core is implemented. "Literary accent" prevails, "composition" becomes the trend, and so on.
Technicalization is actually the result of competitive education. Just facing the exam is far from the original meaning of education, and it is impossible to focus on the long-term and have no patience to pay attention to the improvement of students' overall literacy. From the perspective of education, it ignores the discipline's own laws and students' subjectivity. What is most needed and lacking in Chinese teaching at present is "hidden swimming", which is infiltration acquisition. Both teaching materials and teaching methods should pursue this best state, guide "inclusive swimming" and make reading a habit and lifestyle of students.
Practically speaking, it is unrealistic to talk about curriculum reform completely out of entrance examination and college entrance examination at present, and curriculum reform and examination are not incompatible. We should get out of the quagmire of exam-oriented education and achieve a new balance on the basis of quality education: let students do well in the exam, but they will not be spoiled by the tactics of asking questions, and will not "kill" their bad brains and lose interest. It's easier said than done. As long as we treat it rationally, pay attention to rules, respect students and concentrate on improving, the methods are always difficult.
Public opinion; popular will
The best textbook is Writing for Students, which is written, not made up.
—— Zheng Xiaolong, a special Chinese teacher in the middle school attached to the First Normal University.
The compilation of Chinese textbooks needs to break away from convention and let people with language creativity put their good works into Chinese textbooks. Different age groups have different laws of language development, so it is necessary to find a suitable style to correspond to it.
—— Li Qingming, President of Nanshan Affiliated School of Central Institute of Education.
During the period of social transformation, our technology and economy are developing, but our hearts are not keeping up. This era needs heart-nourishing teaching materials.
—— Yu Yongchang, an education expert in Shenyang, Liaoning.
Different times have different views on Chinese, and the evaluation standards and methods are also different. Problems with primary school Chinese textbooks can be brainstormed if the level is not high, and it is difficult to repair if the conscience is not enough. Enlightened Chinese textbooks became news after more than 70 years, which taught us a lesson.
—— Wu Fei, a middle school teacher attached to South Normal University.
On the one hand, the popularity of old textbooks has aroused social concern because of its own openness and literary literacy, and also expressed people's views on current education and textbooks. On the other hand, online speculation is linked to commercial interests and is suspected of creating "printing tension".
-Phoenix Satellite TV planner Hu
At present, the horizon of textbook selection is not wide enough, and there is a lack of exquisite articles that reflect the characteristics of the times, practical articles that conform to real life, and popular science articles that reflect the new achievements of cutting-edge science and technology.
-one of the editors of the tenth set of primary school Chinese textbooks published by People's Education Publishing House, Kuaifudi.
Teaching materials are also books, and the first thing is to attract people and make children like reading and understanding. The choice of articles must be meaningful, interesting and true. You don't have to explain all the questions thoroughly, but leave room for teachers to play.
—— Tan Ying, a Chinese teacher and researcher in the primary school of Urumqi Teaching and Research Center.
Culture embodies Tao, education embodies culture, and education at all times and all over the world embodies this in different forms. The key is what kind of "literature" can effectively carry and effectively spread the "Tao" that children need for growth. If the words themselves are not too hard and disgusting, there is no educational function.
—— People's Network User Zi Yu Ying