HKIER

摘要

當代的學者多半覺知「課程」一詞多義的現象。面對這種情況，我們可以努力釐清課程的意義，而非放任地讓語義混淆的情況惡化。本文採取理論分析的方式，首先搜集學者們提出的各種課程定義、概念、種類、類比、說明或比喻，隨後進行分析、比較與分類，最後提出課程的兩項本質意義：形式和質料。課程的形式指課程的根源成因、存在目的和組織與造型，課程的質料指事前計劃的概念、知識、經驗及活動等。課程正是達成教育目的之工具，它相對於教育的形式，就是教育的內容或質料（即教材）。

Abstract

This article explores the essential meanings (or semantics) of curriculum by theoretical analysis. The article collects a great deal of data describing the use of curriculum in Western societies, and certifies that curriculum are popular term (topic) in recent academic areas. Then, the article analyzes the character of curriculum in different literatures. Through the analysis, comparison, and classification, the author establishes the main character about the essential meanings of curriculum: (a) there are two kinds of essential meanings of curriculum — the form of the curriculum and the matter of the curriculum; (b) curriculum is the educational matter (content), the mean to achieve educational end (the form of education).