Research On The Relationship Between Didactics And Curriculum Studies

China’s ancient educators and thinkers created a very rich and splendid educational and cultural heritage. However, as a professional discipline, pedagogy was imported from the west, first through Japan at the end of19th century and the beginning of20th century. As subdisciplines of pedagogy, Didactics and Curriculum Studies were also introduced from abroad. Didactics and curriculum studies are very different theory paradigms, in that didactics was produced in Germany, and then spread to some Nordic countries, Soviet union, Japan and some other countries; while curriculum studies was born in the United States, then spread to almost English speaking countries. In this respect, China is very special, as of didactics and curriculum studies co-exist in China. Therefore, the relationship between didactics and curriculum studies becomes a core problem in Chinese educational field. Although the discussions on the relationship between didactics and curriculum studies have lasted for nearly30years, we have not really understood the true relationship between them. The basic reason is that we have not realized they are from different cultural traditions and discourse systems. Although they deal with some same educational problems, the aims, methods are very different. So, the only way to solve these problems is understand and know their respect cultures, histories, philosophies and other backgrounds.The dissertation consists of three sections as exordium, main text and conclusion. The exordium section mainly introduces origin of the issue, research value, research methods, and literature review. In the literature review, we analysize four kinds of typical points of the relationships between didactics and curriculum studies, and point out their errors, that is they do not recognize didactics and curriculum studies are from different cultural traditions and discourse systems. So, to build the true relationship between didactics and curriculum studies, we must first study and discuss the cultures, philosophies and other backgrounds.The main text is logically made up of six chapters. Chapter One discusses the differences and similarities between didactics and curriculum studies. Through researches, we realize that the ranges of their research are close, but the starting point, emphasis, fundamental purpose, etc, are very different. Chapter Two elaborates the history and connotation of Bildung and the relationship between Bildung and Didactics(Didaktik). Chapter Three expounds the reasons of difference from the cultures, philosophies, religions and education, etc. Chapter Four focuses on didactics and curriculum studies which began to dialogue from the1960s. Chapter Five analyzes the misreading and misunderstandings in their localization process. The fundamental goal of localization is to solve the problems in the practice. So, in the localization process, we must first fully understand these foreign theories, and then, absorb and reform them according to the local practice and educational heritages. Chapter Six constructs the "curriculum-didactics" based on the principle of "harmony but not sameness"The conclusion reaffirms that "curriculum-didactics" is not the mixture of didactics and curriculum studies, but a fusion of both of them and our education heritages based on the principle of "harmony but not sameness". Its fundamental purpose and mission is to promote the Bildung of students, and it must embody the humanistic value.