A Comparative Study of the Selections of Classical Chinese Poems and Prose in Malaysian National Secondary School Chinese Textbooks Since the 21st Century

As the primary medium for secondary school students to engage with classical literature and to comprehend and master traditional Chinese culture within the national education system, the selections of ancient poetry and prose in the Chinese textbooks of Malaysian national secondary schools play a crucial role in the study of these materials. This paper takes the ancient poetry and prose selections in the Chinese textbooks used in the Chinese curriculum of Malaysian national secondary schools in the early 21st century and the late 2010s as the research object. By comparing the number and proportion of ancient poetry and prose selections in the two versions of Chinese textbooks, genres, and themes, and the writing style of common articles, this paper summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the two versions of Chinese textbooks in ancient poetry and prose selections. It also provides optimization ideas for the compilation of Chinese textbooks in the next stage, to help students better learn and master Chinese traditional culture.