A Postmodern Perspective on Current Curriculum Reform in China

Abstract

This article examines the curriculum reform of basic education in China from 2001 to 2008. We first discuss postmodern features of the social background in which the curriculum reform movement takes place: (1) the political ideal of innovation, open-endedness, and harmony; (2) the economic ideal of ecological, stable, and sustainable development; and (3) a cultural ideal of integration, diversity, and renaissance. In such a social atmosphere, the curriculum reform absorbs postmodern ideas: (1) difference and pluralism; (2) organic and ecological ideas; (3) open-ended and inherent relation-oriented ideas; (4) creative and practical ideas; (5) uncertainty and humanity; and (6) integrative neoconservatism and futurism. These postmodern ideas bring about the postmodern practice of the current curriculum reform. This practice implements the curriculum reform through the interaction of reform action and curriculum action. In terms of reform action, the background, motivation, reformer, and model of reform are obviously influenced by postmodernism. Thus, the sources, direction, and results of the curriculum reform distinguish it from previous reforms. In terms of curriculum action, the reform takes a postmodern approach to curriculum's goals, content, organization, implementation, and evaluation methods. We conclude that the current curriculum is basically postmodernized in intent and action.