我国实证范式的缘起、本土特征及其之于教育研究的意义——兼论中西实证范式脉络的异同

The Origins and Native Features of Chinese Positivism and its Impact on Educational Research:Comparing the Western and Chinese Positivism Paradigms

以相对简洁的方式勾勒出我国实证范式的演进主线,并对中西实证范式的脉络背景进行概略性比较,从而增进对我国教育实证研究范式的共识性理解。我国实证范式在历经了朴学的萌芽、严复的引介、王国维的融合沟通等重要阶段之后,逐渐衍化出以下两大有别于西方实证范式的鲜明本土特征:第一,我国的实证范式并不盲目地拒斥形而上学,而是对其采取温和友善的态度,努力与其和而不同;第二,我国的实证范式更多地承载着引介科学方法、普及科学精神的特殊内涵。实证范式分为如下三大结构类型:(1)描述性事实研究(客观事实研究);(2)归纳性规律研究(理论建构研究);(3)演绎性验证研究(理论验证研究)。当前在我国的教育研究中存在着实证范式研究数量匮乏与实证范式结构类型单一的问题。对此,首先,需要进一步加大实证范式在解决教育实践问题中的应用力度;其次,需要克服实证范式的武断虚妄与自我中心倾向,各种范式间应当相互尊重,加强相互间的理解与沟通。

The aim of this paper is to enhance common understanding of the Chinese educational positivism paradigm in the form of drawing a simple picture about the development of the Chinese positivism paradigm, and making a brief comparison of the Western and Chinese paradigms of positivism. After the opening up of Puxue, Yan Fu, and Wang Guowei, two significant features of the Chinese positivism paradigm emerged： firstly, the Chinese positivism paradigm does not reject metaphysics blindly, hut to keep a friendly attitude to it; secondly, the Chinese positivism paradigm takes special responsibility to import and introduce the scientific methods, and also to transmit the spirit of the science. There are three types of positivism paradigms discussed in this paper： （ 1 ） research on descriptive facts （ research on objective facts）; （2） research on inductive rules （research on the establishment of the theoretical framework）; and （3） research on testifying theory from deduction （research on theoretical testifying）. Current educational research in China still faces the problem of the deficient amount and narrow and singular types of positive research. Two suggestions are further made on applying the positivism paradigm to solve practical education problems, and overcoming the disposition such as arbitrariness and the egocentricity of the positivism paradigm. All kinds of diverse paradigms should not only respect each other, but also make more communication and understanding.