We are pleased to present this special issue on the contemporary trends and issues of progressive education in China. China is a country not only with massive education, but also with a rich educational history dating back more than three thousand years. With this special issue, the Journal of Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research has paid attention to the current developments in theory and practice of China’s education. Four articles and one book review are being published in the current issue reflecting China’s contemporary progressive education from different sides.

In The Way of “Wei Yu” -- An Orientation of Education for the Chinese in the Globalizing World, Professor Zhang Shiya discussed the characteristics of contemporary Chinese education in the context of globalization and internalization. Professor Zhang pointed out that the concept of Chinese includes not only the 56 ethnic groups inhabiting in China, but also Chinese descendants overseas. The author argued that all Chinese people have a common basis of identification: four words, “Zhong He Wei Yu”(center, harmony, position, birth), have been engraved in Dacheng Hall of Confucian temple in Qufu City, Shandong Province. Education for the Chinese Groups advocated by Professor Zhang expatiate a philosophical approach of Chinese culture: rich in individuality, harmony in society and Great Harmony all over the world.

The author discusses the characteristics of contemporary Chinese education in the context of globalization and internalization. Professor Zhang points out that the concept of Chinese includes not only the 56 ethnic groups inhabiting in China, but also Chinese descendants overseas. The author argued that all Chinese people have a common basis of identification: four words, “Zhong He Wei Yu”(center, harmony, position, birth), By analyzing and expatiating on Chinese characters the author argues that “Wei Yu” does not mean a simple adaptation, but means to interact and communicate with other’s culture by utilizing the characteristics and specialties of the main body of Chinese culture, by which we can reach a situation of “enjoying where we are and what we have; knowing where we go and making a better life for us in whatever environment.”

The author analyzes the transformation of leaders and managers in experimental schools. Professor Yang indicated that multi-value orientation of Education Reform based on participation and democracy not only put forward the urgency of school transition reform, but also offer great challenge and tribulation to the role of school leaders, including role-awareness, decision-making and project-planning. According to the author, the “pushing down the focus” strategy carried out by Base Schools not only strengthened the awareness of “First Responsible Person”, but also opened up a space for self-practice in disquisitive reform, and also inspired teachers to think independently. It also offered them the will to research corporately, the desire and the vigor to develop themselves and brought favorable interaction between system renovation and culture construction. Professor Yang Xiaowei’s paper demonstrated many vivid pictures of elementary schools and high schools’ education reform.

The author first discusses the structural relationship of the learning fields, subjects and modules, and then expatiated on their exhibition in the new high school physic curricula.

The authors explore the four periods in the development of China’s Sociology of Education: establishing period (1922-1949), standstill period (1949-1979), reconstruction period (1979-1998) and new development period since 1998. The paper mainly discusses the course of development, difficulties encountered, problems existing and choice of development of Sociology of Education in China.

Book Review