There has been much debate in recent times between the Anglo American tradition of curriculum studies and the Continental and North European tradition of didactics (Didaktik). As important as such debate has been, this book seeks to add new voices to the debate representing ideas and traditions from a different part of the world. The focus is on Chinese curriculum thinking that has passed through a number of stages and currently represents a blend of some aspects of the American tradition and Chinese cultural traditions. How does Chinese thinking about curriculum, teaching and learning resonate with European didactic traditions and what are the implications for theorizing an expanded field of curriculum studies? This book deliberately transcends borders and cultures to explore new territory, to provide a platform for open dialogue and to open up new areas of investigation
Chapters include,
- Curriculum Reform and Research in China: A Social-Historical Perspective
- What Mathematics Did Teachers Learn? Comparison of the School and the Pre-Service Teacher Mathematics Curricula in Germany and Taiwan
- Living in Parallel Worlds: A Transatlantic Dialogue between General Didactics and Instructional Design
European Didactics and Chinese Curriculum is a very welcome addition to the literature of transnational curriculum inquiry. The dialogue created by the diverse contributions from Asian and European scholars provides a generative provocation to the dominance of curriculum and teaching studies to date by Western anglophone discourses. Professor Noel Gough, La Trobe University, Australia, Founding Editor, Transnational Curriculum Inquiry
Both Didaktic and Confucianism have deep roots in their respective cultures, and yet they share in a common and universal question of curriculum -- what knowledge and manner of education is of most worth for the development of the person and the good society? The contrasting responses of Didaktic and Confucianism described in this book will reveal much about the historical and contemporary intersections of curriculum and culture. Terrance R. Carson, Professor Emeritus, University of Alberta
