摘 要

自古以来，对教育的高度重视便是中华民族发展历程中的鲜明特质，从孔子的“有教无类”到传承发展千余年的科举制，中华民族在教育领域取得了辉煌成就，积累了浓厚的底蕴。新中国成立后，改革传统教育模式以适应新的社会制度和社会结构在全国范围内踊跃开展，改革开放以来，面向现代化的教育改革成为了社会各界密切关注的议题。近年来，数轮课程改革稳步推进，我国各层次各等级的教育事业纷纷开始里程碑式变革，在这一过程中，教育界迸发出了更科学更有生命力的创新，也暴露出一系列棘手复杂的问题，有关高中阶段的文理分科的改革就是教育行业工作者所要处理的难题。

高中教育是衔接中等教育与高等教育的重要时期，是对人才塑造与培养的成型阶段，要对实行了半个多世纪的文理分科制度进行改革，除了必不可少的全社会协作努力外，参考外部成熟经验也是大有裨益的。本论文聚焦于教育发达国家——美国的高中教育实践经验，针对几个特定领域的数据进行对比分析，从而得出取消文理分科后，学校如何安排教学的实用性结论，为我国进一步推动高中教育改革提供借鉴。

关键词: 高中教育、教育改革、文理分科

Abstract

Since ancient times, Chinese people have been attaching great significance to education, which is a distinct characteristic in the course of the advancement. From Confucius’ “education without class" to the imperial examination system that has been inherited and ameliorated for more than a thousand years, this nation has made brilliant achievements in the field of education and accumulated a profound foundation. After the founding of People’s Republic of China, the reform of the traditional education model to adapt to the new social system and social structure has been carried out enthusiastically throughout the country. Thanks to the reform and opening up, the modernisation-oriented education reform has become a topic in the spotlight of close attention from all walks of life.

In recent years, with the steadily prompt progress of several rounds of curriculum reform, education at all levels and gradations has begun to obtain landmark fruitions one after another. During this process, the education sector has burst out scientific and vital innovations, but exposed a series of thorny and complex problems as well. The abolition of the division of arts and science in senior high school is an arduous problem with which the education workers have to cope.

High school education is a crucial period of concatenating secondary and higher education, and it is the moulding stage of cultivating and shaping talents. For the purpose of reforming the arts and science division system that has been implemented for more than half a century, the reference to external mature experience together with cooperative efforts of the whole society should be undoubtedly indispensable and beneficial. Focusing on the practical experience of high school education in the United States which enjoys a developed education system, this dissertation draws viable conclusions by comparing and analysing the data in several specific fields, so as to provide reference for our country to further promote the reform.

Key words: High school education; Education reform; Division of arts and science

Contents

1 Introduction 4

1.1 Research Background 4

1.2 Research Purpose 5

1.3 Research Significance 6

1.4 Literature Review and Research Innovation 6

2 Research Method 8

3 Data Analysis and Comparison 9

3.1 On Student Assessment 9

3.2 On Course Arrangement 11

3.3 On Pre-University Platform 12

4 Conclusion 15

4.1 Research Findings and Limitations 15

4.2 Research Prospects 19

References 20

The Direction of High School Education Reform in the Post-Arts and Science Division Era: Taking the American High School Education System as a Reference

1 Introduction

1.1 Research Background

With the new round of high school curriculum reform in full swing, various regions have announced a number of concrete measures. One of the most eye-catching changes is the gradual abolition of the division of arts and science.

From the 1950s to the 1960s, the practice of dividing arts and science in senior high schools across the country has already been quite common. After the resumption of the college entrance examination system in 1977, the phenomenon of division has become increasingly steadfast and continues till now.

The division of arts and science generally refers to the shunt of senior high school students into arts or science classes according to their own choice, thus having them focus on social science or natural science knowledge and finally participate in the college entrance examination of particular subjects. To a certain extent, this system has cultivated much-needed talents in national development, nevertheless, it has been criticised for "completely serving the examination-oriented system, ignoring students' gift and interest in addition to examinations and stifling students' originality." (cf. Wang Hong, Reflection on the Current Basic Education Reform, 2011:9) With the growingly disgruntled voice from all sectors of the community, the reform of the division system is imperative. In 2014, Shanghai took the lead in launching the reformation. Students in Beijing, Shandong, Tianjin and other provinces who enrolled in 2017 were no longer divided. In 2018, Liaoning and Hubei provinces began the reform as well, and so on. These areas are struggling to promote the implementation, exploring how to solve thorny problems which are never formerly encountered. As Prof. Huo Yiping once said “A fundamental transformation is impending for China's high school education to face the challenges of a more diverse and open environment.” (cf. Education Development Research, 2000:40) In view of this, the research on new problems is indispensable and in urgent need.

1.2 Research Purpose

Education contributes prominently to national development, self-evident being the role of education in shaping the future. As a link with higher education, high school period matters greatly with the consensus reached by various circles. It can be said that high school is a crucial stage to determine the direction of life, which should be highlighted and optimised constantly.

Through considerable years of practice, China's high school education system has cultivated numerous high-level talents for domestic and even worldwide universities and colleges, nevertheless, with the passage of time, several problems have been exposed and require extreme concerns. A reform is imperative. One of the efficient means to promote the reform is to refer to the effective experience harvested by other countries.

This dissertation focuses on the practical experience of American high school education, analyses the differences of various high schools from multiple dimensions, summarises the incentives of their specific education models, and refines the reference experience that is beneficial to our reform along to the historical development and actual situation of the United States.

1.3 Research Significance

Reform is like "crossing the river by feeling the stones", which is full of risks and uncertainties. The experience gathered from effective practice will undoubtedly serve as a beacon-like aid in facilitating the reform process.

As one of the most developed countries in education, the United States must have its merits in the training of senior high school students. High school students in the U.S. are not divided into art or science but feast on more access to comprehensive courses. Through the multi-dimensional analysis and the comparison between the American high school education system and ours, this dissertation could provide precious and valuable reference experience for the education reform.

1. The theoretical and practical causes of differentiation concluded in this study can be summarised as a reference for universal and exclusive application.