Abstract: In 1866, ‘text-book’ was first introduced into China in the English and Chinese Dictionary edited by a German missionary Wilhelm Lobscheid, but it was not translated to ‘Jiaokeshu’. The Chinese word ‘Jiaokeshu’ appeared in the Meiji Restoration period of Japan and was introduced to China by Huang Zunxian in the Annals of Japan in 1887. In 1896, Kang Youwei listed 59 textbooks in the Bibliography of Japan. In 1899, Bai Zuolin, a normal university student of Nanyang Mission College, wrote an article named Advice on Compiling Textbooks. At the beginning of the 20th century, textbooks became the major concern of China’s educational reform. Luo Zhenyu, Xia Xiefu, Yan Fu, Zhang Zhidong, and others held a special discussion on textbook system and its implementation. A series of folk textbooks were published. In 1904, a textbook review and approval system was established. The popularity of the word ‘Jiaokeshu’ in China is a sign of cultural progress, which highlights the value and growing space of modern education. ‘Jiao’ emphasizes the method, order and volumn of teaching, ‘Ke’ stresses the classification, system and arrangement of knowledge, and ‘Shu’ clarifies the style, norms and copyright of compilation. ‘Jiaokeshu’, as a conceptual tool and ideological resource, determines the logical relation of the essence by its literal meaning. It sets a clear boundary, norm and framework for modern education. It has also laid down a new ‘cultural infrastructure’ for Chinese society and become the keyword of modern China’s enlightenment.

Key words: textbook, modern education, Japan, China