The Narrative Changes of Taiwanese History: Reflections on National History and the Education of National Identity

Abstract

本文採用文本分析法檢視三種歷史教科書版本－國編版、《認識臺灣》及九年一貫的一綱多本，探究國中的歷史教科書中臺灣史詮釋的轉變如何受中國意識與臺灣意識的影響。本文檢視歷史事實與詮釋的關係，並發現此三個時期的教科書，皆出現歷史事實的詮釋受這兩種意識形態影響的情況。教科書從國編版的中國意識，轉而為《認識臺灣》的臺灣意識歷史敘述。《認識臺灣》是臺灣中心之歷史敘述之轉捩點，它定義了臺灣史的斷代以及敘述的角度，其後一綱多本時期，各家版本皆持續類似的敘述，甚至持續降低與中國的歷史關係。而本研究也發現，臺灣史作為國族歷史（national history）並未能妥善解釋一些跟中國相關的歷史事實，尚未成為能容納更多不同的觀點與提供更完整解釋的歷史。本文主張民主實踐的歷史，培養學生著重歷史思維的歷史意識，建立理性的國家認同。 This study utilizes text analysis method to examine junior-high school textbooks from the National Standardized Version, “Knowing Taiwan Version,” to textbooks after the Grade 1-9 Curriculum Reform. The goal is to understand how the narratives of Taiwanese history were influenced and changed by ideologies of Chinese consciousness and Taiwanese consciousness. We explored the relationship between facts and interpretations and found that these three versions all have facts interpreted through the lenses of the two ideologies. Textbook narratives were changed from the Chinese-consciousness National Standardized Version to the Taiwanese-consciousness “Knowing Taiwan” Version. “Knowing Taiwan” re-defined Taiwanese history in terms of periodization and narrative structures. Textbooks after “Knowing Taiwan” not only used similar national narrative structures, but also continued to reduce the historical relationship between China and Taiwan. This research also found that Taiwanese history as a national history has not been able to explain facts related to China well, making the national narrative less diverse and less inclusive in providing a better and fuller historical interpretation. We argue for the democratic practice of history, which aims to prepare students for historical thinking, so that students may develop their national identities based on reason.