教育部在強調統整精神的「國民教育階段九年一貫課程總綱綱要」中設置了綜合活動學習領域。有鑒於活動課程研究的短缺,以及7一般大眾對其意涵可能產生的誤解,本文旨在釐清活動課程的本質與原理、從中探究綜合活動課程之內涵與意義,以期進一步地瞭解活動課程與綜合活動課程在未來九年一貫新課程中為台灣教育系統帶來的展望。首先,從相關文獻中分析課程的意義以及活動課程的起源與內涵,再從中歸納活動課程的本質;其次,從控制、信息、一般系統與耗散結構等系統理論的觀點建立活動課程的理論基礎;復次,介紹目前美國、加拿大、英國、香港與台灣教育系統中學校活動發展的概況;最後,比較活動課程與綜合活動課程、討論兩者為台灣教育系統帶來的展望、並提出相關建議。
The Ministry of Education recently claimed integrated activity curriculum as one of the seven core curricula. Activity curriculum has its unique theoretical bases and educational values. It is not a kind of curriculum just for occupying the rest of school days after finishing the instruction of subject curricula. This paper aims to clarify the essence and rationale of activity curriculum, discuss its relation with the integrated activity curriculum in the nine-year compulsory curriculum, and analyze the prospect that both bring into the educational system. First, the meaning of curriculum and the background of activity curriculum are discussed in order to generalize the essence of activity curriculum. Secondly, the rationale of activity curriculum is constructed from the viewpoint of system theories through analyzing cybernetics, theory of information, general system theory, and theory of dissipative structures. Thirdly, the paper introduces the current content and policy of activity curriculum in America, Canada, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Finally, compared are activity curriculum and integrated activity curriculum, of which prospects are claimed; and furthermore, strategies for developing an effective activity curriculum are suggested.