ICI Anniversary Report║Professor Wu Gangping: Centennial Discourse Changes of Curriculum Theory

In order to celebrate the 69th anniversary of the founding of East China Normal University, on the afternoon of October 15th, Professor Wu Gangping of ICI delivered an anniversary academic report entitled “Centennial Discourse Changes of Curriculum Theory”.

▲ Professor Wu Gangping

ICI, ECNU

The report was presided over by Professor An Guiqing. The teachers and students of ICI, as well as many teachers, students and educators of other units attended the report.

Brief Content

01. The Triple Meaning of Curriculum Discourse

Professor Wu Gangping explained the meaning of discourse. He believed that discourse can better identify the development of curriculum theory and the characteristics of different stages. He divided curriculum discourse into three categories: practice, policy and theory, and vividly described it as vernacular, mandarin and superior academic language. He reminded the present teachers and students that they are supposed to choose curriculum discourse according to their communicatee.

02. The Awakening of Cai Yuanpei’s Curriculum Theory

Professor Wu Gangping took Cai Yuanpei’s educational experience as background, further introduced the historical evolution of curriculum discourse in China. He also shared well-known scholars, institutions, and their experience and paradigm. At the same time, Professor Wu made a reflection and prospect on the way to establish our discourse system.

03. The New Development of Curriculum Theory Discourse

Professor Wu Gangping put forward a new understanding of the discourse of curriculum theory, that is, to integrate students’ learning design with the following five concepts “cause and result, innovation and progress, symbolic world, sustainable system and optimization of human experience”. Taking science as an example, he pointed out the current anti-science phenomenon in children’s methods of learning scientific knowledge. He believed that it is not a mistake of the discipline itself, but a matter of the thinking of curriculum setting. Therefore, in order to change the way of curriculum setting, we need to use superior concepts to let students get closer to the knowledge.

After the report, Professor Wu Gangping discussed several questions with the participants, such as the transformation of knowledge and ability, the relationship between curriculum theoretical discourse and practical discourse, and the applicability of Taylor's principle.