Journal of Education and Culture Studies
Journal of Education and Culture Studies (JECS) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by the Scholink. It aims to promote excellence through dissemination of high-quality research findings, specialist knowledge, and discussion of professional issues that reflect the diversity of this field. The journal publishes original research papers, case reports, and review articles. Both of online submission and E-mail submission (jecs@scholink.org) are acceptable. The online version of the journal is free to access and download. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The journal includes, but is not limited to the following fields: English education Education method Cultural studies Cultural history Arts and Leadership Educational technology Religions Films and fashions Communication studies Political science English literature and linguistics Gender and education Training, teaching and learning Translation Open access: Journal of Education and Culture Studies is available online to the reader "without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself." Peer review: Journal of Education and Culture Studies takes peer review policy. Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people of similar competence to the producers of the work (peers).
Authors who publish with this journal must agree to the following terms: Copyrights for articles published in our are retained by the authors. Authors should promise that their works are entirely original, and all the references in their works should be appropriately cited or quoted. The works have not been published previously. The behavior of submitting the same work to other journals is unacceptable. The journal editor has the right to edit the format of works.
Seeking Wholeness: Talismanic Patterns and Rituals in Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck’s fiction is widely recognized for its allegorical and expressionist qualities, yet the relationship between symbolic objects and ritualized behavior in Of Mice and Men has received comparatively little attention. Drawing on Todd M. Lieber’s theory of talismanic patterns together with Steinbeck’s reflections on symbolism and monism in The Log from the Sea of Cortez, this article examines three recurring talismans in the novella—soft things, the dream ranch, and the brush—and the rituals through which they acquire psychological and spiritual significance. Lennie’s compulsive petting, George’s repeated narration of the ranch dream, and the sacrificial killing in the brush are interpreted as ritual performances that enable the characters to project values onto material objects, affirm threatened identities, and seek reunion with a larger natural whole. By analyzing the interaction between talismans and rituals, this article argues that Steinbeck’s expressionism is grounded not only in symbolic imagery but also in repetitive performative acts that reveal his ecological monism and his understanding of humanity’s persistent longing for wholeness.
Copyright (c) 2026 Huijie Zhang http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Bamboo in the Linpan of Western Sichuan—An Examination Centered on the Period from the Ming Dynasty to Modern Times
Thanks to its long history of agricultural abundance, Sichuan has been known as Tianfu since ancient times. And at the core of this Tianfu lies Linpan. Within Linpan, bamboo is yet another essential element. Grown as a kind of cash crop there, bamboo is put to many uses—everyday tools, farm-related handicrafts, and cultural products tied to agriculture. All these uses have helped shape a farming culture that's deeply rooted in Linpan. On top of that, bamboo is woven into the daily routines of local residents, and has long been a favorite subject for scholars and poets to pour out their emotions. As the economy kept growing, bamboo and its processed goods gradually gave rise to what's now called the bamboo forest economy—one that carries the distinct imprint of Linpan's farming traditions, thereby preserving and even broadening those traditions. In more recent times, bamboo products have been combined with tourism and cultural activities, leading to a new kind of bamboo culture. But the truth is, in many places, these bamboo products and the cultural heritage around them haven't been properly safeguarded or handed down over the years. The recent push for the "Bamboo Instead of Plastic" initiative has injected fresh energy into bamboo's future. Still, we're left with the pressing task of how to revive and redefine bamboo's cultural significance.
Copyright (c) 2026 Xiaolin Liao http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Research on the Presentation and Optimization Strategies of Chinese Cultural Elements in College English Textbooks
Against the backdrop of national cultural development and curriculum-based ideological and political education, college English textbooks bear dual missions of language instruction and international communication of Chinese culture. This paper takes full sets of freshman and sophomore general college English textbooks from mainstream domestic publishers as qualitative research samples. Guided by Culturally Responsive Teaching theory and Byram’ s nine-theme textbook evaluation framework, this study adopts documentary research and qualitative text categorization to analyze three tiers of Chinese cultural materials. The text sorting reveals three core defects: Western cultural contents dominate textbooks, three categories of Chinese culture are unevenly distributed, and listening-reading input tasks are disconnected from oral-writing output exercises. Rooted in textbook compilation concepts, single assessment standards and insufficient teachers’ cultural literacy, this paper constructs a three-dimensional improvement system. Balancing cultural proportions, enriching multi-level cultural themes and designing targeted output tasks can maximize textbooks’ cultural education value. Distinct from previous macroscopic discussions lacking textual verification, this study provides operable suggestions for textbook revision and school-based teaching material development.
Copyright (c) 2026 Runhui Wang http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Research on the Causes and Countermeasures of the Lack of Learning Enthusiasm of College Students in the New Era
This paper systematically analyzes the main factors affecting college students' learning enthusiasm from the aspects of college students' unclear learning motivation, teachers' ideological and moral character and professional quality, teacher-student relationship, school software and hardware management and social atmosphere guidance, and summarizes the reasons for the lack of learning enthusiasm of college students in the new era. On this basis, it is proposed that students should establish correct learning awareness and improve self-regulation and self-control ability; teachers should improve their self-cultivation and actively explore the innovation of education and teaching methods; the school should pay attention to the construction of the overall learning atmosphere and style of study. Through the organic combination of the three modules of students, teachers and schools, students' learning initiative is stimulated and their all-round development is promoted.
Copyright (c) 2026 Xulin Peng, Yuheng Guo http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Comparative Study of Aristocratic Marriage Cultures in Dream of the Red Chamber and The Age of Innocence
From the perspective of comparative literature, this paper focuses on the aristocratic marriage cultures in Dream of the Red Chamber and The Age of Innocence, aiming to reveal the similarities and differences in power operations under Chinese and Western family systems. By integrating Pierre Bourdieu’s Symbolic Capital Theory and Michel Foucault’s Biopolitics, this paper analyzes the political and economic functions of marriage, female dilemmas and resistance. It is found that both Chinese and Western marriages are treated as instruments to integrate family interests. However, the former is driven by patriarchal ethics, while the latter is constrained by capital logic and social etiquette. This study offers practical implications for reflecting on contemporary marriages.
Copyright (c) 2026 Siyao Peng, Yangming Bai http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The editorial board announced this article has been retracted on August 26, 2026. If you have any further question, please contact us at: jecs@scholink.org
Copyright (c) 2026 Anson Young http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Study on the English Translation Strategies of Geographical Indication Agricultural Products in Anhui Province from the Perspective of Skopos Theory
Under the background of global trade and cultural integration, geographical indication agricultural products in Anhui Province are important regional cultural symbols and economic resources. However, there are some problems in the current English translation work, such as inconsistent translation, lack of cultural connotation and poor communication effect, which hinder its international recognition and market expansion. Under the guidance of the three principles of skopos theory, coherence and fidelity, this study systematically investigates the current situation of translation by using the methods of text analysis and case comparison. Its purpose is to explore how to formulate corresponding translation methods according to different communicative purposes (for example, external publicity, cultural tourism, or sale); how to strike a balance between the correctness of culture and the acceptability of the audience; and how to help 'Huizhou culture going out' through translation practice. This study found that strategies should be flexibly combined according to specific goals: for words with cultural significance, the method of 'literal translation + annotation' can be used to retain their characteristics; for functional descriptions, adaptive changes must be made to match the cognitive habits of the target market. Therefore, the conclusion shows that the communicative function and communication effect of the translation can be greatly promoted by taking the purpose orientation as the orientation, the acceptability of the audience as the premise and the cultural authenticity as the core. This study provides a strategic reference for the English translation of geographical indication products in Anhui Province, so as to provide an application path based on Skopos Theory for the cross-cultural communication of Chinese local characteristic products.
Copyright (c) 2026 Mengyuan Yang, Yangming Bai http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Study of the Fusion of Ugliness and Beauty in the Images of Major Characters in Western Drama—A Case Study of Quasimodo
The dramatic work Notre-Dame de Paris is adapted from the eponymous novel by the great French literary figure Victor Hugo and is a representative masterpiece of French musical theatre. This paper takes the main character Quasimodo in this musical as an example to conduct a study on the images of ugliness and beauty in the major characters of Western Drama. Theories of Victor Hugo’s Principle of Aesthetic Contrasts, Gérard Genette’s Focalization, Marxist Principle of Dialectical Unity and theories in Aesthetics are adopted to find that Quasimodo’s deformity and ugliness coexist interdependently with the beauty manifested through his character image, virtuous and righteous actions and stage performance. Musical theatre has the integrated advantage of all the stage elements to advance the narrative in interaction with the audience, collectively creating a representative dramatic character in whom ugliness and beauty are fused in the rising cognition of gestalt. It would be helpful in drama study and the formation of character cognition and education in our lives.
Copyright (c) 2026 Bin Li http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Comparative Study of the Chinese Translations of The Time Machine from the Perspective of Chesterman’s Translation Ethics—A Case Study of Chen Zhen’s and Qing Run’s Versions
Herbert George Wells wrote The Time Machine. This book holds an important place in science fiction history. Studying its Chinese translations can show us some rules behind science fiction translation. This paper uses Andrew Chesterman’s five models of translation ethics. It compares Chen Zhen’s and Qing Run’s Chinese versions. The comparison looks at terminology, sentence structure, and character speech styles. Different ethical orientations do affect translators’ choices. Chen Zhen’s translation leans toward representation and communication ethics. He tries to keep the original’s literary quality and intellectual depth. He uses foreignizing strategies more often. Qing Run’s translation focuses more on service and norm ethics. He values readability and target readers’ habits. He uses domesticating strategies frequently. This study hopes to offer theoretical help for science fiction translation practice. It also tries to broaden the use of translation ethics in literary translation criticism.
Copyright (c) 2026 Bo Li, Peifang Zhang http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Study on the English Translation of Museum Cultural Relics from the Perspective of Skopos Theory: A Case Study of Hubei Provincial Museum
Against the backdrop of globalization and the “going global” of Chinese culture, the English translation of museum cultural relics acts as an important carrier for the cross-cultural communication of regional culture. As a core platform for the display of Chu culture, the quality of English translations of cultural relics in Hubei Provincial Museum directly influences the international communication effect of the distinctive culture in the Yangtze River Basin. Supported by Skopos theory of the German functionalist translation approach, this paper conducts a case analysis of the English translations of typical cultural relics such as bronzes, ceramics and lacquered wooden artifacts in the museum, centering on the three principles of the skopos rule, the coherence rule and the fidelity rule. This paper shows that the museum’s translations generally achieve a balance between information transmission and linguistic standardization, but there are still problems such as the lack of key information, mistranslation of culture-loaded words and inconsistent translation of craft terms. Looking at both positive and negative translation examples, this paper puts forward an optimization strategy that’s guided by communication goals, balances cultural authenticity and natural English phrasing. It can give practical pointers for standardizing the English translation of Hubei Provincial Museum’s cultural relics, plus provide solid empirical support for the translation of promotional materials about unique cultural content from local museums.
Copyright (c) 2026 Feifei Mao, Yang Liu http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Study on Translation Strategies of Hawkes’ English Translation of Hongloumeng from the Perspective of Dynamic Equivalence Theory
The English translation of Hongloumeng is of great significance to the dissemination of Chinese culture, and among them, Hawkes’ English translation is the most famous one. Based on the Dynamic Equivalence Theory, through the analysis of four levels: lexical, syntactic, textual and pragmatic, this study explores how to use the Dynamic Equivalence Theory to cross the linguistic and cultural gap between Chinese and English, and convey the original meaning to the target language readers. The study finds that Hawkes’ translated version mainly adopted the domestication translation strategy. In the lexical and textual levels, it mainly adopts methods such as free translation and idiomatic translation, while in the syntactic and pragmatic levels, it mainly uses techniques like division, conversion, and addition. The study enriches the practical path of Dynamic Equivalence Theory in the field of literary translation, and is also helpful to promote the spread and acceptance of Hongloumeng in the whole world.
Copyright (c) 2026 Zhengyu Wu, Guangfang Huang http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Methodological–Axiological Alignment for Cultural Heritage Education
Across the Asia-Pacific region, schools face a dual mandate: cultivating students’ national cultural identity while developing globally competitive cross-disciplinary competencies. This article advances the concept of methodological–axiological alignment—a theorised distinction between the curriculum methodology a school borrows from an international framework and the locally determined values that methodology is made to serve. The concept is developed through a study of a four-year design-based research programme at a junior secondary school in a large city in western China, which used the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) as an inquiry architecture while anchoring its value orientation in China’s Core Competencies framework. Survey data from 1,077 students and 74 teachers were integrated with thematic analysis of four iterative design cycles (2021–2025). The findings document a demand–supply mismatch—strong student interest alongside limited teacher interdisciplinary design capacity—and elicit four conversion mechanisms whose process observations are consistent with cultural confidence development. The article offers a transferable analytical framework for global–local curriculum integration of relevance across Asia-Pacific systems navigating analogous tensions.
Copyright (c) 2026 Lin Peng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Critical Discourse Analysis of American Mainstream Media Reports on China's Aerospace Development
Critique discourse analysis of the coverage provided by American mainstream media in The New York Times and The Washington Post on China's aerospace development from 2016 to 2025 is conducted in this paper. Based on Fairclough's three-dimensional analysis system, quantitative corpus analysis and qualitative textual interpretation were conducted on about 28 news reports comprising around 16,200 words. Therefore, these outlets have systematically constructed a discourse of geopolitical competition and strategic risk for China's space program. High-frequency lexical clusters are centred on competition-related nouns, such as "rivalry", "race", and "competitor", and adjectives such as "aggressive", "uncontrolled", and "secretive" give the coverage a security-oriented connotation. Transitivity analysis shows that the material process of "China" presents an active challenge to US space hegemony, and verbal processes favor warnings from US officials over scientific assessments. Citation practices favour American political and security elites, and frame China's achievements, such as the Chang'e lunar sample return and construction of the Tiangong space station, as part of a zero-sum strategic competition rather than as contributions to human space exploration. This construction of discourse shows deep-seated Cold War mentality, the legislative inheritance of the Wolf Amendment, and broader geopolitical anxieties; it serves to ideologically justify continued technological containment and an expansion of military-space construction.
Copyright (c) 2026 Chuyi Zhong, Yu Chen http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring the Educational Role of English-Medium Instruction in Internationalized Higher Education
With the internationalization of higher education, English-Medium Instruction has developed rapidly in Sino-foreign cooperative education programs. However, the existing research mainly understands EMI from the perspective of language teaching and teaching implementation, and pays less attention to its educational value in the cultivation of international talents. In this view, this paper attempts to explore how EMI curriculum, as an international educational practice, plays a potential role in promoting students’ academic development, cross-cultural understanding and global competence. It also examines key challenges associated with EMI, including language barriers, inadequate teaching support and the risk of superficial or formal internationalization. This article tries to address a practical question that in the context of Sino-foreign cooperative education projects, how can EMI curriculum design and international talent training be more practical and closer to actual needs.
Copyright (c) 2026 Feier Xu, Yu Xiang http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0