孔子的教育理论研究得最多的是道德教育思想、有教无类思想以及因材施教思想。因材施教是孔子教育理论体系中影响最大、讨论最广的理论之一，同时它也是最常与西方教育理论对比的理论之一。这个理论发源于《论语》中对孔子言行的记录，经过后代学者们的阐发，由朱熹首次提出概念的名称。随着理论的发展和阐释，理论的定义和边界被无限地扩大，以至于含混不清。为了研究因材施教理论，并且探寻理论对当下教育的启示，必须从理论的源头入手。因材施教理论的核心在于“材”，想要探索理论的确切含义，必须先明确“材”的体现、意义和作用。《论语》语境下的“材”不仅仅包含学生的家庭背景、个人特征，更包括学生动态的发展情况。通过对“材”的辨析，理清因材施教理论的内涵。因材施教理论在千年的继承与创新过程中，既有其独特的意义价值，又存在着一定的时代局限。探寻理论对当下教育的启示，必须建立在承认其价值，认清其局限的基础上。其价值主要体现在重视教师个人素质提升、以学生为目标导向、重视教育的启发性三方面。而局限则体现在过分强调教师作用、学生标签化倾向、理论与体制适配问题三个方面。在理清价值意义和时代局限之后，我们才能够客观公正地评价因材施教理论，才能够真正去寻找它对当下教育的启示。通过对因材施教理论的梳理，我们发现了这个理论的思想核心在学情分析上的体现，同时它也存在一些误用。我们应该做的就是在清楚地了解因材施教理论的前提下，继承它的可借鉴之处，避免误用以及降低误用带来的危害。

The principle of teaching students in accordance with their aptitude is one of Confucius education theories, such as moral education. The theory originated in the Analects of Confucius. The concept proposed by Zhu Xi after Confucius developed by different scholars in different periods. It has been ambiguous now.For searching the theory and finding the contemporary enlightenment, we must start from the source. Only the concept of the aptitude is figured out, we can explore the exact meaning of Teaching students in accordance with their aptitude. In the context of the Analects of Confucius, the aptitude means students’ background, personal characteristics and the development of them. Besides the unique significances, the principle also has inevitable limitations of times. The merits include improvement of teachers’ abilities, aimed at students and inspiration during education. The drawbacks consist of overemphasizing the role of teachers, label phenomenon of students and the adaptation of theory and reality. We take advantages of the merits for latter education and avoid misapplication.