Current Thinking and Liberal Arts Education in China Author: Youguo Jiang Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:104094 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2013 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. Boston College Lynch School of Education Department of Education Administration and Higher Education Current Thinking and Liberal Arts Education in China You Guo Jiang, S. J. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy March 2, 2013 © copyright by YOU GUO JIANG 2013 Conceptions about Liberal Arts Education in China Abstract Liberal arts education is an emerging phenomenon in China. However, under the pressure of exam-oriented education, memorization, and lecture pedagogy, faculty, university administrators and policy makers have not embraced it whole-heartedly. Through qualitative methodology, this study explores the current thinking of Chinese policy makers, university administrators, and faculty members on liberal arts education and its challenges. A study of the perceptions of 96 Chinese government and university administrators and faculty members regarding liberal arts education through document analysis and interviews at three universities helps in comprehending the process of an initiative in educational policy in contemporary Chinese universities. This research analyzes Chinese policy making at the institutional and national levels on curriculum reform with particular emphasis on the role of education in shaping well-rounded global citizens, and it examines how the revival of liberal arts education in China would produce college graduates with the creativity, critical thinking, moral reasoning, innovation and cognitive complexity needed for social advancement and personal integration in a global context. This research also found that the revival of interest in liberal arts education in China demonstrated that government and universities have begun to realize that the current curricula, professional training, and narrowly specialized education fail to help students to be competent in a globalized economy, and liberal arts is valued in China, and will be more effective as politics, economy and society more developed. 2 Acknowledgment I am deeply indebted to the members of my committee: Dr. Philip Altbach, Dr. Karen Arnold, and Dr. Mark O’Connor. I am especially grateful to my chairperson, Dr. Altbach, for guiding my research and for his encouragement. My deepest gratitude goes to Dr. Karen Arnold for her insights and helpful views. I also thank Dr. Mark O’Connor who broadened my views on global development of liberal arts education. I also wish to thank the President’s Office of Boston College and the Jesuit Conference of the US for providing the scholarship for the completion of my program. I am grateful to Fr. Harvey Egan, S. J., Fr. William Elliot, S. J. and Mr. Vincent Murphy for their editing and suggestions. I would like to thank my Jesuit community at Boston College for their support. I also thank my classmates for their friendship and educational support. I also would like to thank my friends in the US and in other countries for their support and prayers. Finally, I thank my beloved mom and dad who always taught and encouraged me to love and to serve generously. 3 Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction 10 Statement of research 10 Research questions 11 Significance of the study 13 Content of chapters: methodology, literature, findings and analysis 15 Recent discussions of liberal arts education in China 17 Conclusion 22 Chapter 2 Methodology 23 Introduction 23 Theoretical framework 23 Description of research methods 26 Pilot study 28 Data collection and participant selection 29 Interviews 31 Selection of participants and process 33 Data analysis and report 35 Data analysis procedures 36 Document analysis 37 Validity and reliability 38 Ethical concerns 39 Conclusion 40 Chapter 3 Review of liberal arts education in the Chinese context 41 Introduction 41 Confucian tradition 41 4 Liberal arts education in the modern Chinese period 46 The Republican era (1911-1949) 46 The New China era (1949-1978) 51 The Opening-door era (1978-present) 54 Review of Chinese policies regarding liberal arts education 60 Liberal arts education studies developed by Chinese higher education institutions 69 Conclusion 73 Chapter 4 Literature review 76 Introduction 76 Liberal arts education in the Western historical context 76 Jesuit tradition of liberal arts education 78 Harvard and Yale impact 79 Liberal arts education in the 18th and 19th century in the US and Europe 81 Liberal arts education in the 20th century 84 Definition of liberal arts education 87 Definition of liberal arts education in the Chinese context 91 Related empirical studies on China’s liberal arts education 93 Studies and researches by Chinese scholars 93 Literature on liberal arts education in China 100 Conclusion 101 Chapter 5 The three purposive sample study universities: Fudan, Shanghai Jiaotong and East China Normal University 103 Introduction 103 Fudan University 104 The Jesuit and Catholic context 104 The founding of Fudan 105 5 Fudan in the post-revolution period 108 Curriculum development in Fudan 110 Fudan College (liberal arts college at Fudan University) 113 Structure of Fudan’s liberal arts college 114 Liberal arts education core curriculum modules 115 Life and culture of residential colleges (residential hall) 118 Conclusion 119 Shanghai Jiaotong University 120 Historical background 120 Liberal arts education in Shanghai Jiaotong University 122 Liberal arts education curriculum 123 Methods of implementation of liberal arts course 125 Methods of evaluation the quality of liberal arts education courses 126 Conclusion 127 East China Normal University 128 Historical background 128 Liberal arts education in ECNU 131 Liberal arts curriculum 132 Meng Xiancheng liberal arts college 133 Conclusion 135 Chapter 6 Curriculum development of liberal arts in Fudan, Shanghai Jiaotong and East China Normal University 137 Introduction 137 Historical view 138 Definition of liberal arts education from the perspective of the three purposive sample universities 140 6 Curriculum development at Fudan, Shanghai Jiaotong and ECNU 143 Historical background 143 Curriculum reform at Fudan University 145 Curriculum reform at Shanghai Jiaotong University 146 Curriculum reform at East China Normal University 148 Conclusion 149 Faculty member’s view on liberal arts curriculum 149 Faculty member’s role 154 Attitude of students, administrator and policy maker on liberal arts reform 163 Impact of the labor market on implementing liberal arts curriculum 169 Conclusion 174 Chapter 7 Critical thinking in the context of liberal arts education 177 Introduction 177 Definition of critical thinking 178 Challenges within the curriculum for critical thinking in Chinese context 180 Chinese high school system for critical thinking 180 Emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), IT (information technology) and business 183 Derailment of the purpose of education 184 Teacher’s role in educating students with critical thinking 187 Evaluation for faculty promotion 193 The ideological-political education course curriculum and critical thinking 197 Mentorship program for critical thinking 200 Conclusion 205 Chapter 8 Moral reasoning in the context of liberal art education 207 Introduction 207 Moral education vs. character education 208 7 Moral reasoning education in China: historical approach 210 Contemporary concern for moral reasoning through liberal arts education in China 211 Aim of moral reasoning 214 Education for moral reasoning through liberal arts education in Fudan, Shanghai Jiaotong and ECNU 217 Moral reasoning education in Fudan 218 Moral reasoning education in Shanghai Jiaotong 220 Moral reasoning education in ECNU 221 Religious dimension in moral reasoning education 223 Challenges of high school and family education for moral reasoning 226 Impact of corruption on moral reasoning education 232 Teacher training for moral reasoning education 236 Conclusion 239 Chapter 9 Spirituality in the context of liberal arts education 243 Introduction 243 Definition of spirituality 245 Spirituality in Chinese context 247 Historical perspective 248 Spiritual perspective in Confucian tradition 250 Spiritual perspective in modern China 253 Spirituality development in Fudan, Shanghai Jiaotong and ECNU 255 Curriculum development and teacher’s role 256 Policy concern for spirituality development 262 Service learning and spirituality 265 Conclusion 269 Chapter 10 Discussion and analysis 273 Introduction 273 8 Curriculum development for critical thinking cultivation 275 Faculty member’s role in liberal arts education development 281 Government policies concerning liberal arts education development 287 Internationalization and globalization 292 Confucian philosophy and moral reasoning 297 Evaluation of faculty for promotion 300 Secondary education and the college admissions system 303 Spirituality development in the liberal arts education 306 Conclusion 310 Chapter 11 Summary and conclusion 312 Overview 312 Current development 313 The philosophy of culture in liberal arts education 317 Challenges to liberal arts education in China 322 The teacher’s role in the development of liberal arts education 322 Employment and economic concern 325 Professional ethics in Chinese universities 326 Future trends 328 Recommendation