中国的科学教育应该更加重视科学史

Science Education in China Needs to Pay More Attention to History of Science

我国中学教育的应试化和大学教育的功利化背景下,科学史在科学教育中的地位日益受到挤压。我们需要认识到形势的严峻,并理性地探讨如何改变的策略。本文讨证科学史是塑造最顶级科学家的重要条件,因而,以培养顶级科学人才为目标的科学教育不能忽视科学史的重要性。最后,对我国科学教育应该如何在安置科学史课程提出了一些意见。

History of science has now declined in importance in science education in China,due to the fact that the high schools have focused too much attention to the National College Entrance Examination and that the universities have worried too much about their financial and utilitarian interests.We need to recognize this critical situation and find rational ways to deal with it.The first part of the paper argues that science education in China cannot overlook the crucial role played by history of science in cultivating top scientists for the country.The second part gives some observations on how to arrange courses of history of science.