对美国教育语境中问责涵义的考察

在美国教育文献中,"accountability"是一个经常出现的关键词.目前,国内学者对此词翻译不一,一方面说明研究者对它涵义的理解各有侧重,另一方面也说明它本身涵义的复杂性.本文意在探寻"accountability"在美国教育情境中的真实涵义,以帮助国内学者更好地理解美国教育的问责特征.笔者从"责任、制度、绩效评价和管理、信息流动"四个维度对美国教育问责的涵义进行考察.责任是问责的静态涵义和直观体认;而从制度层面理解,问责并不意味着绩效评价、信息公开或实施奖惩某种单一管理活动,它将这些全部涵盖且有所超越和延伸,折射出问责本身涵义的丰富性.

Review on the Connotation of Accountability in American Education Context

Accountability is a keyword frequently appears in American education readings.Nowadays,Chinese scholars translate it into different terms.The connotation of"accountability"is very complicated and researchers understand it from various points.This paper aims to explore the true meaning of accountability in American education from four angles of responsibility,system,performance assessment and management,as well as information flowage.They interact between each other.As for accountability,Responsibility is its static matter and direct perception.But if we look at it from the system perspective,accountability doesn't mean any single management activity,such as performance assessment,information opening,the implementation of punishment and reward.In fact,accountability contains all of them,even exceed and transcend them,which reflect the richness of accountability connotation itself.