Reflection And Surpassment: Transformation Of The Mode Of Thinking Of Adult Education Research

In recent years, the independent discipline status and existence rationality of andragogy have always been questioned and challenged by academia. "One who makes outstanding achievement has status." To get a satisfactory answer to the deep-seated problems hidden behind the discipline crisis of andragogy, we must interrogate adult education research. But if we only touch the surface of the issues, as famous philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said, "It will be still unresolved and maintain the status as before", therefore, "it must be uprooted and exposed completely." It requires that we should take a new approach to think. As a theoretical or ideological premise, in the common sense, "mode of thinking" means "how to think it". It deeply conceals in the process and result of theory or thinking, and directly regulates people "what to think", "what to do" and "how to do it." This thesis bases on the following thoughts: in the process of adult education research, as researchers, "what are they thinking ", "how are they thinking it", "what are they doing" and "how are they doing it". Further, in what ideological premise should we adult education researchers raise adult education questions?What kinds of adult education questions should be raised? How should these adult education questions be analyzed and solved?And then, how should the research results be put into practice?This thesis consists of three parts: firstly, reflection on the traditional mode of thinking of adult education research, secondly, surpassment of traditional modes of thinking of adult education research, finally, clarification of the prospect of the mode of thinking of adult education research that this thesis understands.As to the reflection on the traditional mode of thinking of adult education research, firstly, this thesis briefly reviews the domestic adult education research history, trying to dissect China's adult education researchers'concerning horizon in the past 20 years, then, statistically analyses the current adult education research status to reveal its rationality and problems, and then, compares with the US-European adult education research tradition in the international vision and studies the impact of the differences in the mode of thinking on the adult education research tradition, finally, further elaborates the predicament of the mode of thinking hinting in adult education research.As to the surpassment of the traditional adult education research, this thesis demonstrates its feasibility and significance firstly, and then explores the ideal way to converse the mode of thinking on the adult education research, as follows, from simple mode of thinking to complex mode of thinking, from bipolar mode of thinking to intermediary mode of thinking, from common sense mode of thinking to critical mode of thinking and from metaphysical mode of thinking to practical mode of thinking.As to the prospect of the mode of thinking of adult education research, this thesis elaborates the connotations of the mode of thinking of adult education research that it understands, for example, the present adult education research should be involved in the multicultural world, focus on the adults'learning and development, structure the interaction between adult education and social development, and use diverse research methods.