Comparative Education Research: What to Study——Chinese Scholars' Viewpoints in the 20th Century

What should be studied in comparative education research? Based on three dimensions of the time,the space,and the matter,Chinese scholars have different viewpoints in the 20th century.In general most of them believe that only 'the present' should be involved in comparative education researches.In focusing on 'the present',four standpoints can be distinguished in the junction of the space and the matter dimensions.Scholars before liberation and those researchers in Taiwan from 1950's to 1970's,held the viewpoints that comparative education should study educational systems with nation-states as its unit;while the scholars in mainland since the 1980's believe that in terms of space dimension,nation-states,area,or cultural circle can be regarded as the unit for the study of all the educational theories and practices.The research scopes for the Chinese comparative education have been enlarged in the 20th century.