This discipline has enjoyed a long history. Since the foundation of Central China Normal College in 1952, the Department of Education has been established through the merging of the education departments of Hua Chung College which had a history of a hundred years, Chuang Hua University, National Institute of Education, Hubei and Chung Yuan Christian University. It was at that time that its teaching and research section was set up. Before the Culture Resolution, it has formed a strong faculty and accumulated rich books and reference materials, contributing graduates for more than 10 years to society. Its textbook Pedagogic is widely accepted around the whole country. After the reform and opening- up, in 1978, Prof. Wang Daojun and Yang Baokun began accepting graduate students on education theory, and in 1981, it gained the right to grant MA degree as one of the first group of approved universities. In 1996, it was able to grant PhD degree on education theory, becoming the first doctoral authorization center in central south area. In 1997, it began its construction according to the criteria of “211 project” approved by specialists and ministry of education. It was cited as the key discipline of Hubei province in 1998 and 2003. In 2007, it was cited as the national key discipline.
As a result of long period construction and development, this discipline now has a number of nationally famous academic leaders and an excellent academic team. It has a faculty of 23 members, namely 12 professors (9 PhD supervisors), 8 assistant professors, 3 lecturers, and 21 PhDs, three of whom enjoy special government allowances provided by State Council, 4 of whom are members of National Education Science Planning Program Jury and 1 of whom is included in Humanities and Social science Cross-century Talents Training Plan of Ministry of Education, 2 included in the Ministry of Education New Century Excellent Talent Supporting Plan and 6 selected in Hubei Province Cross-century Talents Training Plan.
This discipline has complete training system of undergraduates and postgraduates. It has been cited as Hubei Province Brand Undergraduate Discipline and it is also approved as University Characterized Discipline Construction Pot by Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance. Its faculty has been cited as Nation- standard Teaching Group. Its public education course has been cited as Excellent Course of the country. It enrolls more than 40 MA candidates and 20 PhD candidates. In the recent years, more than 10 MA dissertations have been awarded as Excellent MA dissertations of Hubei province, and 5 PhD dissertation have been cited as Excellent ones of Hubei province
Since the year 2007, it has undertaken more than 30 scientific research items at the provincial and ministerial level or higher ones, including 2 Ministry of Education Humanities and Social Science Major Research Projects, as well as more than 20 items commissioned by certain local departments, containing a fund of more than 6 million yuan. It has published 40 academic works and textbooks, more than 300 papers and has won 8 prizes of scientific research items at the provincial and ministerial level or higher. With good academic atmosphere, this discipline is actively involved in academic activities home and abroad. In recent years, it has held 6 international or national academic conferences. 20 faculty members have paid visits to foreign countries and have taken part in international conferences. Apart from that, its journals Educational Research and Experiment and Education & Economy are important Chinese core periodicals. They are well received and released around the country and abroad.
CCNU is a key normal university directly under the ministry of education with a target to become a high- level comprehensive university with strong research power and clear teacher education characteristics. The Education Department of CCNU was approved the right to grant PhD degree in 2002 and was the fourth place in the 2008 evaluation of comprehensive power of first-level disciplines by Ministry of Education Degree und Graduate Education Development Center. The discipline of Education Theory is one of the 5 National Key Disciplines of the same category and also the only one cited as National Key Discipline in mid-western China. Educational Theory is a foundation course in its field with a wide coverage and strong motivating power. As a result of long –period construction and development, some relatively steady research directions have formed: education theory research, foundation education research and education policy research, etc. It has also cultivated distinct characteristics in pedagogical basic research, main body education theory and practice research as well as compulsory education policy research, exerting great influence in its field. On the whole, this discipline bears great potential and a promising future.
