A Study On The Meaning Of Curriculum Knowledge

The dissertation aspires to inquire the meaning of curriculum knowledge in the existential perspective. The underlying foundations of this hypothesis are as the following: (1) the buoyance of knowledge discourse, (2) the identity of crisis curriculum knowledge, (3)the transition of modern people's knowledge existence vision in knowledge society, and (4) the separation of curriculum knowledge in classroom practices from the meaning construction of individual learner's existence. The development of the research follows the pathways of theory, history and practice.Chapter One mainly analyses the core concept of the meaning of curriculum knowledge. First of all, through a series of definition comparisons, we define curriculum knowledge as the knowledge of curriculum content, which consists of disciplinary curriculum knowledge and researching curriculum knowledge. Disciplinary curriculum knowledge and researching curriculum knowledge are demonstrated as indirect experience and direct experience respectively. In this chapter, we also assume that the pedagogical features of curriculum knowledge aims at generating learners' individual spirit as well as constructing their existing significance. On the basis of it, the meaning of curriculum knowledge is classified as three levels, which are: textual meaning, psychological meaning and spiritual meaning. And the level of spiritual meaning is at least categorized by two dimensions, among which the first dimension being that curriculum knowledge should not become the alienation power of disciplining and inhibiting students' mind and spirits, and the second dimension being that curriculum knowledge should provide a meaningful framework for individual learner's existence. Secondary, the establishment of necessity and possibility of curriculum knowledge is verified by evidence from human being's signified existence and the deconstructing of contemporary knowledge view of objectivism. Finally, the understanding relationship and significance relationship between curriculum knowledge and learners are distinguished.Chapter Two outlines the development of the meaning of curriculum knowledge. By literature review, it is argued that ,at the very beginning of the axis age in the world, the meaning of curriculum knowledge is primarily evidenced by such times as Confucian or Maoism in China and "Three Philosophers" in the ancient Greek in the West, , when curriculum knowledge was targeted at the generating of individual learner's spirit. In the Middle age, when with China's establishing the system of imperial examinations and the West establishing religious theology knowledge, the meaning of curriculum knowledge is gradually alienated. In the contemporary times, curriculum knowledge is featured on mastery, structure and loyalty by the drive of enlightenment movement and scientific rationalization. Therefore, the meaning of curriculum knowledge is sheltered by the conversed logic relationship between curriculum knowledge and children's existence, the alienated cultural implications of curriculum knowledge, the utilitarianism of the value of curriculum knowledge, the ignorance of moral character in the instructing of knowledge. In modern times, with the deconstruction of the knowledge view of objectivism, the view of curriculum knowledge is characterized by understanding, relevance and creativity and the significance of curriculum knowledge is more emphasized. For example, relentless efforts are made to integrate the linkage between the scientific world and life world in the instruction of knowledge ,and to pursue ideology of curriculum knowledge.Chapter Three examines the loss and failure of the significance of curriculum knowledge in daily classroom activities. In teaching practice, the loss and failure of the significance of curriculum knowledge can be demonstrated as the following four forms:(1)the curriculum knowledge's value discipline to learners;(2)the curriculum knowledge's rational spirit disciplines to learners;(3)the curriculum knowledge's linguistic disciplines to learners, and (4)the curriculum knowledge's physical body disciplines to learners.Based on the above mentioned analysis, on the generating of the significance of curriculum knowledge in teaching practice, Chapter Four draws two tentative conclusions. First, since life epistemology carries much existential implications, we should shift from the theoretical foundation of scientific epistemology to that of life epistemology. Any teaching and learning of knowledge based on life epistemology will become a process of learners' experiencing life understanding the world and constructing existence significance. Secondary, we should return the dialogue spirit of teaching. In the teaching practice, the presentation of spirit dialogue is a kind of moral, rationalized , emancipated, and significance shared practice. In the teaching practice,it is the interaction of the "categorized spirit" of the curriculum knowledge and the individual learners' spirit, that the focus on the constructing of individual learners' existence significance is cared for.