論臺灣通識教育與專業教育融合之困境與發展

Some Suggestions Concerning the Combination of General Education and Specialist Education- From a historical point of view

本文回顧臺灣三十多年來通識教育的歷史與發展脈絡，從中檢視通識教育與專業教育之間的關係。我們認為，這兩者融合之所以困難，主要原因除了立基點不同外，通識教育本身的問題，包括「各自表述的通識定義」、「通識教育中心定位不明」，以及面對內外夾雜的困境等，是造成通識教育窒礙難行之因素。我們也發現，過去所強調以「博雅教育」或「全人教育」為出發的通識教育，理想性太高而無法具體落實；甚至因各自的解讀不一，反而使通識教育淪為一種口號。因此，若要改善長久以來的問題，通識教育必須回歸到知識層面，也就是著重「跨領域／跨學科」的知識學習，並且從「融合」到「內含」的通專發展，才是未來通識教育與專業教育兩者相融的可行方向。在實施全面性的改革過程中，學校也必須重新檢討整體的課程結構，其中特別要注意兩點：一、相關配套措施必須做足；二、各校應走出自己的特色，如此才能讓通識教育走出自己的路。目前中國大陸的高教積極發展通識教育，臺灣通識教育改革的經驗也值得提供大陸各校參考。 This essay starts with a historical reflection on the development of general education in Taiwan's higher education from 1980s, in which the relation between general education and specialist education (i.e. professional training, academic training) is particularly focused. In the first section of this essay, the authors give a short account of how general education was implemented in 1980s and argue that some difficulties were embedded since then. In particular, there were two. First, the leadership class of Taiwan's higher education seemed to have no clear idea of what the role general education should play in university education. Second, the promotion of general education was short of strong administrative support, and often faced strong opposition from the sector of professional education. In the second section, the authors try to map out various difficulties that general educationalists currently encounter; there are both difficulties from within and without. In the third section, the authors inquire the possibility of connecting general education with specialist education. They suggest that either some courses of general education can be specialized in terms of increasing their teaching-studying hours or some specialist trainings can be broadened to contain some philosophical or historical courses closely relating to the trainings concerned. In the concluding remarks, it is claimed that Taiwan experience can have some significance for general educationalists in mainland China.

This essay starts with a historical reflection on the development of general education in Taiwan's higher education from 1980s, in which the relation between general education and specialist education (i.e. professional training, academic training) is particularly focused. In the first section of this essay, the authors give a short account of how general education was implemented in 1980s and argue that some difficulties were embedded since then. In particular, there were two. First, the leadership class of Taiwan's higher education seemed to have no clear idea of what the role general education should play in university education. Second, the promotion of general education was short of strong administrative support, and often faced strong opposition from the sector of professional education. In the second section, the authors try to map out various difficulties that general educationalists currently encounter; there are both difficulties from within and without. In the third section, the authors inquire the possibility of connecting general education with specialist education. They suggest that either some courses of general education can be specialized in terms of increasing their teaching-studying hours or some specialist trainings can be broadened to contain some philosophical or historical courses closely relating to the trainings concerned. In the concluding remarks, it is claimed that Taiwan experience can have some significance for general educationalists in mainland China.