美國高等教育之重要發展階段與論題探討

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2005

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摘 要 本研究旨在探討美國高等教育,尤其是研究型大學,自殖民時期哈佛學院在1636年創立以來,歷經那些重要的發展階段,成為目前在全球高等教育上居於舉足輕重的地位,而為其他國家仿效的對象,我國的高等教育自不例外。首先,敘述南北戰爭前的發展,這個階段是美國高等教育發展的基礎。然而殖民時期的學院,受到美國獨立戰爭後,政治、經濟的改變以及啟蒙運動,科學日益昌明,帶動產業革命的影響,也在修課內容、學生來源以及高等教育機構性質上產生相當大的變化;南北戰後,隨著政治情勢的丕變,政治更加民主化,科學又精進不已,促進科技的進步,帶動工商業的發達,而隨著國土的擴張,廣大的西部有待開發,亟需高等教育培育人才,投入國家建設的行列。高等教育的有識之士,認為傳統的學院教育已經不符合社會的需要,於是在哈佛大學校長伊利歐特(Charles W. Eliot)和康乃爾大學校長懷特(Andrew D. White)帶領下,提倡高等教育的「實利」理念。在課程內容上,注重科目多樣化;在科目修習方式方面,提倡自由選修制;到了二十世紀,更出現了「威斯康辛理念」(the Wisconsin Idea),更加注重高等教育的「服務功能」。在伊利歐特和懷特倡導「實利」教育理念之際,1862年通過的「莫里爾法案」(the Morrill Act),促成「撥地學院」(land grant college)的設置,也是「實利」高等教育理念的體現。南北戰後,隨著留德學生的增加,返國後帶回德國大學強調「科學研察」的大學理念,1876年成立的約翰霍普金斯大學(Johns Hopkins University ),就是仿效德國大學理念,強調研究所教育的新興大學。然而傳統學院強調的博雅教育,在南北戰後,並沒有消聲斂跡,一些學者在目睹「實利」理念太過強調後所衍生的功利習氣,以及太強調「科學研察」所產生過度專門化,導致知識割裂的後果,興起了以強調培養「智識」陶冶的博雅文化理念。1890年後至1910年,在「實利」和「研究」理念融合影響下,逐漸發展出美國現代大學的雛型;兩次世界大戰之間,美國高等教育的發展主要由精英式轉為大眾化。二次世界大戰後,隨著「退伍軍人法案」(G.I.Bill)的通過和戰後嬰兒潮,到了1960年,大量的學生數湧入校園,使得美國高等教育邁入了普及化。為了調適大量學生數並維持高等教育的學術水準,加州於1960年通過了「加州高等教育整體規劃法案」(The Master Plan for Higher Education in California)。此外,二次世界大戰後,為了國家發展以及工商業的需要,聯邦政府和各種民間基金會,大量經費挹注高等教育,從事國防武器研發和科學以及技術的研究,促成了「研究型大學」快速發展。1960和70年代,公民權運動和越戰所引發的學生暴動和反文化運動,改變了高等教育內部的權力結構,也造成大眾對於高等教育信心的下降。這一期是柯爾(Clark Kerr)所謂「多元大學」(multiversity)的定型期;1980年之後至2000年,美國高等教育又因學生運動時所喚起的各種政治壓力團體以及財力緊縮的因素,在課程內容和教師以及學生文化產生若干的改變。綜觀美國高等教育的發展,並參照高等教育學者的見解,美國高等教育發展過程中所產生的重要論題有:(一)高等教育的目的與功能;(二)博雅教育在大學部教育中的地位;(三)塑造學術統體;(四)機構自主與學術自由;(五)入學政策與教育機會均等。透過歷史研究與文獻分析,主要的研究結果歸結如下。分兩方面說明: 一、美國高等教育卓越之處 (一)具有高度的調適能力 (二)居於社會生活的中心,顧及國家與人民的需要 (三)「加州高等教育整體規劃」的特色 二、美國高等教育值得商榷之處 (一)「多元大學」不易塑造「學者統體」的大學精神 (二)以「研究型大學」為典範不利大學部涵泳博雅胸懷 (三)研究型大學與ㄧ流文理學院的對照 (四)明訂確切的入學標準以提昇學術水準 (五)「貝克判例」促進高等教育機會均等的論辯 (六)競逐資源乖違學術理想 (七)缺乏寬廣視野易受外在壓力團體的掣肘 根據研究發現以及臺灣高等教育發展的現況,本研究提出幾點建議,供作臺灣高等教育發展與革新的參考,並藉以引發進一步的探究。
Abstract The Purpose of this study aims at demarcating the crucial developmental stages of American higher education and finding out its current issues. In terms of the historical development of American higher education, several critical stages could be identified and they are as follows: Firstly, from the Harvard founded in 1636 to Civil War (1861-1865), on the whole, the American higher education under the influence of English and Scottish universities, espicially stressed the importance of liberal education. Secondly, from the Civil War to 1910, due to the great political and social change, many presidents of higher education paid much more attention to the “service ” function of Higher education. Besides, after 1850 much more American students visited German Universities and brought back the German Ideals of scholarly research. After 1890, the ideas of service and research merged and brought out the emergence of American University. At about the same time, some scholars pursued the ideal of liberal culture and made great efforts to revive the traditional liberal arts. Thirdly, after World War II to 1980, thanks to the G. I. Bill and the Tidal Wave, all of a sudden, many students enrolled in campuses. During the 1960s, the American higher education shifted from a mass-access system to the universal-access one. In California, working to develop an outstanding statewide system of higher education and to keep the university’s place as the great center for graduate instruction and research within that system, while considering the public welfare and the private interests of the several segments, the Master Plan for Higher Education in California was created. Moreover, during and after the World War II, the university was being called to respond to the expanding claims of national service and to merge its activities with industry as never before. Due to huge federal research funds and the great increases in the student enrollment, the university underwent great transformation, and Clark Kerr described it as “multiversity”. Nevertheless, during the 1960s and the early 1970s, because of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, students revolts erupted in many research universities across the United States. And when the academic reaction to these challenges did not move sharply or rapidly enough, student activism was stirred into varying degrees of unrest and violence, and then resulted in campus turmoil. Fourthly, from 1980 to 2000, though the disturbances and conflicts in American higher education caused by the Vietnam War were over, the various movements for changes in the university procedures and modes of organization demanded by special interest groups were beginning to gather a full head of steam and leaded to a university system different from that which had existed as recently as 1960. Based on its historical development, we can marshal the following five current Issues: 1.how to define the missions and functions of higher education; 2.how to revive the value of liberal education in undergraduate teaching; 3.how to fashion the community of scholars; 4.how to clarify the concept of institutional autonomy and academic freedom; 5.how to provide the entrance standards. Finally, according to a detailed analysis of the historical development of American higher education and an enquiry into the current issues, the author not only reviews the distinguishing features of American higher education, but also provides implications for Taiwanese higher education.

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高等教育, 美國高等教育, 多元大學, 柯爾, 美國高等教育論題, higher education, American higher education, multiversity

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