On Developing Chinese Didactics: A Perspective from the German Didaktik Tradition

Abstract

Over the last century, the development of didactics (教学论) in China has been profoundly influenced by Kairov’s theory of pedagogics. The German Didaktik tradition, which can date back to Comenius and Herbart, remains largely unknown to educational scholars in China while they possess basic knowledge of Comenius and Herbart. This article expounds three basic tenets of the German Didaktik tradition—(1) the concept of Bildung, (2) a theory of educational content, and (3) the idea of teaching as a learner-content encounter—and discusses the implications for developing Chinese didactics. It argues for a rethinking of the purposes, content, and practice of teaching with respect to the subjectification aim of education (i.e., the becoming of unique individuals, with autonomy, critical thinking, and creativity).