教育创新中的技术功能论

Techno-functionalism in Educational Innovation

到目前为止,教育创新行动中盛行的主要是一种技术功能论。这种技术功能论不但强调教育中的技术要素的重要性,而且为发挥技术要素的作用而推行一种独特的制度技术——科层体制,这种制度技术竭力将创新行动者界定为技术要素而不是人格与思想主体。这样,真正得到普遍强调的实际上只是技术要素中的那些比较低级的部分,这种技术甚至不能称为"专业技术"而只是那种用以对付结构完好的实践领域的实用技术。教育创新过程就这样最终被作为一个技术过程确立下来,最终导致了创新始终只能在一个封闭的知识和制度体系下进行。不但如此,凡是强调技术功能论的地方,还都倾向于夸大教育的社会功能,但事实上受到重视的依然是其工具价值。教育工作者很多很享受这种定位,但直至今天,教育依然主要被当成国家、民族和社会进步的工具。由此展开的教育创新依然将教育本身作为技术体系来对待,而且依然不断强化教育创新中的技术理性,漠视那些能真正带来教育革新的自发因素和民间力量。

So far,techno-functionalism is prevalent in educational innovation activities. Techno-functionalism not only emphasizes the importance of technological aspects in education,but also uses a unique institutional technique——bureaucracy so that technological aspects can be brought into full play.This institutional technique tries its best to define innovative actors as technical elements,not as personalities and thinking entities.Therefore,what gets emphasized in reality is the lower part of the technological aspects,i.e.,the practical technology which could not be called 'professional technology'. Educational innovation defined as such could only be achieved within an enclosed knowledge and institutional system.Moreover,even if the techno-functionalism is also inclined to exaggerating the social functions of education,the instrumental values are still prioritized,which are enjoyed by many educationists.Up to now,education is still regarded as a tool of state,national and social progress.Accordingly,innovation treats education itself as part of the technological system.Technological reason is prioritized and strengthened whereas spontaneous factors and social forces that could potentially bring about real educational innovations are neglected.