A Research On The Evolution Of Gymnastic Elements In Chinese Primary And Secondary Schools Since1949

Our country has laid great stress on school physical education since1949, and several major reforms had carried out for our physical education in the compulsory education stage. From "The Temporary Standard of the P. E. course in Primary Schools"(1950), to the "The Curriculum Standard of the P. E. and Health course in compulsory education"(2011), gymnastics is always a main component of our P. E. course in primary and second schools.To grasp laws of the development of gymnastics teaching contents in our compulsory education effectively, all past Curriculum Reforms in Elementary Education were selected as the time-nodes to divide corresponding research stages, and with the methods of literature review, expert investigation(Delphi), logical argument and comparative study, the historical contexts, education background, the transformation of the Philosophy of School P.E., and the transformation of the gymnastics teaching contents were analysed and combed, to clear the developing principles of the gymnastics teaching contents, explore its tendency of development, and to give theoretical support and practical reference for researches of gymnastics theory and the innovations of our gymnastics teaching contents. Conclusions of this paper were followed as such:1. The development of our gymnastics teaching contents can be divided into6stages approximately:Period of Development Referenced (1950~1957); Period of Exploration and Development (1958~1965); Stagnation Period (1966~1976); Rehabilitation Period(1977~1985); Period of Stable Development (1985^2000); and Period of Deepening Development (2000~);2. The changing characteristics of gymnastics teaching contents for each stages:contents of Development Referenced Period were diverse and specific; contents of Exploration and Development Period were compressed and more adaptable; Stagnation Period made the physical education classes to be at a standstill nearly; the contents system of school gymnastics was established in the Rehabilitation Period; Programming and designing of Stable Development Period became more scientific, coexisting with the instability of requirement for each content; and the Deepening Development Period given no specific contents but some proposals instead.3. Affected by the political and social circumstances, the gymnastics teaching contents are charactered by the times distinctly;4. The gymnastics teaching contents have a trend of stable relatively in all the P. E. syllabuses after1978;5. From physique and skill to the all-round development of body and mentality, the object to which the gymnastics teaching contents pursued has become more and more scientific.6. Throughout the evolution course of more than60years, the gymnastics teaching contents not break out the categories of competitive gymnastics yet;7. Gymnastics is always a main component of our P. E. course in primary and second schools;8. The development of the theory of gymnastics in our primary and second school is behind its development in college or university.