This is a collection of essays on China's new curriculum reforms in basic education, covering various aspects of the reforms ranging from education theory to classroom actitivity transofrmation, from teacher training to teaching quality evaluation. Prof. Zhong presents rich experiences in the reforms in the last decade as collisions between old ideas and new ones, marking the end of the Kairov Era pedagogy. This book discusses profound changes in China's basic education, propelled by both top-down designs and bottom-up innovations from grass-root teachers.

Table of Contents:
Preface: Seeking Logic for School Reforms in the New Era 1 The Transformation of Value in the New Curriculum Reform  1 Holistic Student Development   1.1 The Whole Person Fragmented by Contemporary Education   1.2 The Meaning of the Whole Person  2 Back to Students’ Life World   2.1 The Loss of Meaning of Life World   2.2 Back-to-Life Curriculum  3 Knowledge Construction for Individual Understanding   3.1 The Absence of Personal Knowledge   3.2 Knowledge Construction with Personal Meaning  4 Creating School Culture with Characteristics   4.1 The Ignorance of Characteristic School Culture   4.2 Reconstruction of School Culture 2 Conceptual Reconstructions and Curriculum Innovation in China  1 Reconstructing the Concept of Knowledge and Curriculum Innovation  2 Reconstruction of the Concept of Learning and Curriculum Innovation  3 Reconstruction of Classroom Culture and Curriculum Innovation 3 The KAP Theory  1 Definition and Significance of KAP   1.1 Defining KAP   1.2 Significance of Defining KAP  2 Knowledge Philosophy of KAP   2.1 KAP Manifests the Appeal for Human Science   2.2 KAP Is Based on the New Philosophy of Knowledge  3 KAP Manifests the Law of Mental Development  4 Framework and Task of “KAP Chain” Teaching Design   4.1 Teaching Goals as Hypotheses   4.2 Framework of the “KAP Chain” Teaching Design   4.3 Core Tasks in Advancing “KAP Chain” Teaching Design 4 On Integrated Practice Activity Course (IPAC): Contents, Characteristics, Values and Potential Misconceptions  1 Defining IPAC: A Model for Curriculum Development   1.1 IPAC and the Traditional Subject-Separation System are Motivated by Two Different Theories of Curriculum Development   1.2 Two Models of Curriculum Development Based on Two Different Views of Learning  2 Value of IPAC: Integration of Wisdom and Integration of Knowledge   2.1 As a Brand New Model in Curriculum Development, IPAC Is Geared to a Contemporary Model of Knowledge Production   2.2 IPAC: “Not Just a Formal Structural Change in Curriculum Development, but a Profound Substantial Innovation of Curriculum Values”   2.3 Systematic Research on the Modern Knowledge Production Model Provides the Theoretical Basis for the Simultaneous Development of the Separation and Integration of Subjects  3 Implementation of IPAC: Strengths and Misconceptions 5 Dialogues and Texts: The Transformation of Teaching Norms  1 Teaching: Activities of Communication and Cooperation  2 Dialogues and Texts: Conceptual Reconstruction of Teaching and Teaching Materials  3 Transformation of the Teaching Paradigm 6 Towards a Humanistic Curriculum Evaluation  1 Curriculum Evaluation: Redefining the Concepts   1.1 Defining Curriculum Evaluation   1.2 Focus of Curriculum Evaluation and Its Innovation  2 Humanistic Curriculum Evaluation: Blueprint of the Reform   2.1 Transformation from Cumulative Learning to Constructive Learning   2.2 Transformation from Evaluation for Score Purpose into Evaluation for Learner Purpose  3 Transformation of Curriculum Evaluation from Utilitarian Consideration into Humanistic Consideration  4 Humanistic Curriculum Evaluation: A Qualitative Description  5 Humanistic Curriculum Evaluation: A Cultural Renovation   5.1 Transformation from Credential Society into Learning Society   5.2 Transformation from Unilateral Lopsided Development into Holistic Development   5.3 Transformation from Black-Box Evaluation into Evaluating Evaluation 7 Innovation in the Teachers’ Education System in China  1 Historical Development of Teacher Education  2 Curriculum Standards of Teacher Education: Key to System Innovation   2.1 Diagnosis of the Current Situation of Teacher Education in China   2.2 Discussion on the Framework and Core Contents of Curriculum Standards of Teacher Education   2.3 Curriculum Reform of Basic Education Calls for a Professional Image of Teachers  3 Re-Conceptualization: The Precondition of System Innovation of Teacher Education   3.1 Learning Profession and Professional Learning   3.2 Reconceptualization and System Innovation 8 Teaching Practices: Analytical Modes and Philosophies—Comments on the Assumption of Teaching Particularism  1 Development of Teaching Practice Mode: From Behaviorism to Constructivism   1.1 Behaviorist Mode of Teaching Practice: Making Class No Difference to Amphitheater   1.2 Teaching Practice Mode of Social Constructivism: Classroom for Social Interaction  2 Teacher’s Practice Thinking in Social Constructivism: Significance, Features and Research Issues   2.1 Significance of Promoting Teacher’s Practice Thinking   2.2 Features of Teacher’s Practice Thinking   2.3 Cultivation of Teacher’s Practice Thinking 9 New Challenges in Teachers’ Training  1 Opportunities and Predicaments of Teacher-Training   1.1 Opportunities: Ideological Motivation and Knowledge Resources from New Curriculum Reform   1.2 Predicament: Struggle between Exam-Oriented Education and Quality-Oriented Education  2 Prevention of the Regeneration Chain of Exam-Oriented Education  3 Seeking Self-Discipline and Innovative Teacher-Training   3.1 Methodology of Teacher-Training from the Perspective of Teachers’ Knowledge   3.2 Teachers Training Supported by Government Policy, Theoretical Basis and Practical Experience 10 The Development of Future Educators  1 Educator Development and TEC Innovation  2 Laying Foundations for China’s TEC Innovation   2.1 Study of Children   2.2 Study on Teachers   2.3 Study on Teaching Materials 11 Critical Comments on Kairov’s Pedagogy  1 Part I   1.1 Ideological Basis of Soviet School Construction and Aberration of “Deschooling”   1.2 School Policies in 1931 and Vicissitudes of Kairov’s Pedagogy  2 Part II   2.1 Criticism of Pedagogy “Overlooking Children” and Significance of “Argument about Development”   2.2 The Confrontation between Zankov’s New Teaching System and Kairov’s Teaching Principles   2.3 Divergence between “Development-education Theory” of Cultural-historical School and Kairov’s Pedagogy 12 A Review of the Paedological Research of the Vygotskian School  1 Vygotsky’s Development-Education Theory   1.1 Methodological Basis and the Developmental Culture-History Theory   1.2 Two Hypotheses of Vygotsky’s Developmental Theory   1.3 Education-based Theory of Children’s Development   1.4 Internally Unified Development Process of Life Concept and Scientific Concept   1.5 Inner Language Theory and Personality Theory  2 Development of Paedological Research of Vygotskian School   2.1 Theoretical Hypothesis of Development-Mastery Theory   2.2 Theoretical Hypothesis of Self-Development Theory   2.3 Rivalry between Development-Mastery Theory and Self-Development Theory  3 Modern Significance of Paedological Research of Vygotskian School