The post-mao junior secondary school chemistry curriculum in the people's republic of China: A case study in the internationalization of science education

Abstract

Using the case of the Junior Secondary School Chemistry Curriculum (JSSCC) in the People's Republic of China, this paper addresses the issue of internationalisation of science education in a developing country. The focus was on the change of the JSSCC during the period from the late 1970s to the present. Data were collected from two sources: curriculum documents related to the JSSCC, and interviews with the individuals who were responsible for designing the JSSCC during the period under study. International influences on the four versions of JSSCC during the period were analysed in the four themes: socio-political climates, influencing factors from the abroad, the ways the international influences were exerted, and constrains by the national conditions. And finally, problems and issues involved in the international of the JSSCC were discussed © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.