高等教育学“升一”论述评

Should HER be Recognized as an Academic Discipline or a Sub-discipline:A Reevaluation

高等教育学“升一”论,即近年来倡议高等教育学升级为一级学科的系统主张。它主要包括高等教育学“升一”依据论、“升一”策略论和“升一”方案论三个组成部分。以其旨趣为中心,高等教育学“升一”论先后经历“提高”阶段和“维系”阶段。“提高”阶段的高等教育学“升一”论旨在扩大高等教育学的制度红利以提升社会认同;“维系”阶段的高等教育学“升一”论旨在重树高等教育学被视为学科的制度标志以维系学科的社会认同。作为坚持高等教育学“学科化”发展的新表述,高等教育学“升一”论有助于重塑高等教育学学科共同体的学科关怀,但是,也存在一些不足:过分夸大高等教育学的发展困境;高估高等教育学科群的成熟程度;高等教育学“升一”的依据不尽合理;高等教育学“升一”方案缺乏整体设计。正因为存在这些不足,高等教育学“升一”论在获得认可的同时,也遭到质疑。从修正高等教育学“升一”论的角度出发,高等教育学“升一”论者未来要正视高等教育学与教育学的关系;要以提升学科品质作为“升一”的根本之计;要以完善教育学学科专业结构为“升一”的前提。

Recently,some researchers in China have proposed that higher education research(HER)should be recognized as an academic discipline in its own right,rather than just a sub-discipline of educational studies.They not only presented a rationale,but also suggested a strategic plan as well as practical strategies for promoting the development of HER as an independent discipline.Being recognized as an independent discipline,rather than a subfield of study within a broader discipline,HER would certainly gain greater recognition,enjoy better institutional support and receive more sufficient resources.Nevertheless,such a proposal seems rather problematic:on the one hand,HER hasn’t yet developed itself into a well-established and widely acknowledged branch of knowledge;on the other hand,as a subfield of Education Studies,HER has grown very rapidly without being held back by hindrances or impediments.In fact,to promote the development of HER,we should fully understand the dynamic relations between HER and Educational Studies,and more importantly,improve the rigor and relevance of our research in higher education,too.