A Study On Duan Lipei’s Educational Thoughts

Duan Lipei,a famous Chinese educator whose educational thoughts became mature in the practice of secondary education reform with Chinese socialist characteristics,worked as the principal of Yucai High School in Shanghai in 1950,and in 1984 he retired from the leading post and served as the honorary principal until his complete retirement in 1996.His leadership and educational thoughts had exerted great influence on Yucai High School for nearly half a century.During the early 1960 s,the late 1970 s and the early 1980 s Duan Lipei ushered in three significant education reforms in Yucai High School with the slogans of “sixteen-charater” experience,“eight-character” teaching method,self-innovation and voluntary exercise which became well-known in the educational field in China.This paper,based on the study of Duan Lipei’s family background,educational practice,the formation of his educational thought and its ideological connotation,systematically expounds on Duan Lipei’s educational thought so as to understand better the self-exploration of the secondary school education with Chinese socialist characteristics and explore the ideological growth of educators.In the half-century history of teaching reform in Yucai High School Duan Lipei had a consistent thought: the early 1960 s witnessed the reform of “teaching” with the sixteen-charater experience of “clinging to textbooks,practicing while teaching,connecting the new with the old,teaching with students’ aptitude”;the late 1970 s and the early 1980 s saw the shift to “learning” with eight-character teaching method of“reading,discussing,practising and speaking”;in the late 1980 s and the early 1990 s the reform reached a higher level to “nurturing” with the principles of self-management,self-innovation and voluntary exercise,which emphasized the overall development of students.The focus of this education reform shifted from teaching to educating,and its concern changed from other aspects to the student themselves.In addition to forming a "teaching-learning-nurturing" approach,Duan Lipei alsostarted with classroom teaching reforms and carried out overall reforms in curriculum,teaching materials,teaching process,evaluation and management to ensure the comprehensive,independent,and individualized development of students.From "teaching" to "learning" and then to "nurturing",Duan Li-pei’s exploration of education reform has undergone the change from unconsciousness to consciousness,from imperfection to perfection,from part to the whole;it is no longer limited to "how to cultivate talent".There has also been a fundamental change in the understanding of “who is educated” and “what talents to nurture”,which reveals that Duan Li-pei’s exploration of education reform has risen from the experience level to the ideological level.From “teaching” to “learning” and then to “nurturing”,it is not only Duan Lipei’s exploration of “education method that suits China’s reality” and of the way to establish a new type of socialist middle school,but also the independent exploration into the theory and practice of secondary school education with Chinese socialist characteristics.Duan Lipei’s educational thought results from educational practice,having the characteristics of humanism and Chinese socialist secondary school education.Duan Lipei’s educational exploration has left us with a profound and precious spiritual wealth.From the development of Duan Lipei as an educator,it is not difficult to find that the achievement of an educator requires a combination of factors.In addition to the soil or stage that can fully develop his educational practice,an educator also needs to have a strong sense of dedication,mission and professionalism,a spirit of exploration,an independent personality,and other outstanding qualities such as an conception of practical ideas and the mass.It is also necessary for him to follow the laws of education and to respond positively to its challenge.