Characteristics of Chinese Student Learning: Implications for

the General Education Program

Hongshia Zhang 张红霞

Institute of Education Nanjing University, China

2014, 5, 21

Chinese Student Learning Characteristics

Paradoxes ： the CausesImplications for General Education

Program

Chinese Student Learning Characteristics

International Research: 1960s-1980s: Descriptive period•Learning styles: surface/deep; time spend; group/independent•Learning process: participation; engagement; involvement; environment and strategies•Cognitive style: critical thinking/rote learning•Cognitive development progression

Based on Piaget and Kemberg’s, William G. Perry’s Theory (1970): Cognitive progression throughout the four-year study:

Stage 1. Dualism （二元论） Stage 2. Multiplicity （多元论） Stage 3. Relativism （相对主义，批判性思维） Stage 4. Commitment ( 付诸行动、献身目标）

It has been a good framework for instruction and curriculum planning (e.g.Knefelkamp,1974 ；Touchton et al.1977) .

1980s-present: Correlative and modeling period

•Dependents:

Achievement; Gains ； Outcome.

•Independents or mediators:

Gender; First generation; Family class

Ability (SAT background V participation)

Beliefs about knowledge (dualistic/relativistic; rote or enquiry)

Institution; Discipline ( V collaboration)

Culture

Many controversial findings except: •Low participation. 参与度较低•Critical thinking: low level.批判性思维低•Cognitive progression: minor, opposite. 发展缓慢•Learning behavior (participation, involvement) does not correlate so much to achievement as in the West.

学习方式与成绩关系弱Knowledgeable, less creative;Good for popularizing, not for top-talents.

Summary for International research

Domestic student researches from:

Qinghua University (NSSE)

Nanjing University (SERU)

Cognitive Development 认知 (Luo, Y. , Shi, J., Tu, D. 2009)

From NSSE Qinghua Univ.

USA Tops

Years Means Means T-test E-size

Memory of facts, ideas & methods

1-2

3-4

54.8

50.2

65.0

60.0

-8.51***

-7.17***

-0.39

-0.35

Analysis of constructs of an idea or theory

1-2

3-4

63.5

59.5

71.7

75.0

-7.71***

-13.9***

-0.33

-0.64

Synthesis of various information to a new comprehensive one

1-2

3-4

54.3

52.9

63.7

67.3

-8.08***

-11.5***

-0.35

-0.54

Assessment of ideas and methods

1-2

3-4

50.7

47.9

61.7

64.7

-9.25***

-12.7***

-0.41

-0.60

Application 1-2

3-4

54.2

55.5

69.0

72.0

-12.7***

-12.9***

-0.55

-0.60

Knowledge Acquisition 知识

NSSE Qinghua Univ.

USA Tops

Means Means T-test E-size

General Education knowledge

Years 1-2

Years 3-4

51.7

55.5

74.0

76.0

-21.02***

-17.25***-0.90

-0.80

Specialized disciplinary knowledge

Years 1-2

Years 3-4

57.4

62.8

60.0

66.7

-2.01*

-2.71**-0.09

-0.14

Student Learning Ability 能力From NSSE Qinghua

Univ.USA Tops

Years Means Means T-test E-size

Expression 1-2

3-4

46.8

50.8

56.3

62.7

-7.2***

-8.5***

-0.34

-0.42

Problem Solving

1-2

3-4

52.4

55.6

56.7

59.7

-3.3***

-2.9***

-0.15

-0.14

Collaboration 1-2

3-4

57.9

60.7

64.7

70.0

-5.5***

-7.2***

-0.26

-0.35

Coursework Rigorousness 难度NSSE Qinghua

Univ.USA Tops

Year Means Means T-test E-size

Reading quantity 1-2

3-4

83.0

72.4

46.0

43.6

26.4***

15.7***

0.92

0.56

Long-writing quantity

1-2

3-4

18.6

30.9

4.6

12.0

18.5***

18.5***

0.58

0.61

Medium-writing quantity

1-2

3-4

40.7

39.2

26.0

31.2

9.2***

0.2

0.29

0.01

Short-writing quantity

1-2

3-4

47.5

44.4

39.8

40.2

-2.0*

-4.6***

-0.07

-0.17

Examination benefit for learning

1-2

3-4

56.6

50.9

75.5

71.7

-23.0***

-21.6***

-0.86

-0.88

• “Students have strong motivation to learn, but their understanding of learning goals and significance is relatively poor, only 27 % of the students reported positively.”

• “America’s strength lies on curriculum.” • “We believe that （ about examination ）……

more of cultural difference, rather than the gap in academic competence of the faculties.”

(Luo, Y. , Shi, J., Tu, D. 2009)

From SERU Year  NJU Berkeley T E-size

Participation in classroom

1-2 2.99 3.56 -15.616*** -0.07

3-4 3.06 3.67 -25.096*** -0.07

Peer collaboration

1-2 3.46 3.86 -9.183*** -0.03

3-4 3.50 3.78 -9.766*** -0.01

Learning attitude

1-2 2.32 2.68 -12.703*** -0.05

3-4 2.38 2.70 -16.396*** -0.03

Critical thinking

1-2 3.52 4.44 -26.663*** -0.20

3-4 3.56 4.52 -44.072*** -0.21

Communication with faculty

1-2 2.64 2.52 3.576*** -0.003-4 2.88 2.88 0.046 0.00

Experience in NJU (Gong and Lu, 2012)

• Similar to Qinghua, students in Nanjing University responded: “the teacher in the class is very serious, knowledgeable, but I do not why we should know what is learned by these ancient texts?”

• 2006 survey (Gong, Zhang, Yu and Qu, 2008)

Samples form 8 within top 20 universitiesFactors Response

Faculty qualification

Low academic level 37%

Outdated teaching material 36%

Lack of appropriate textbooks 34%

Lack of famous professors 34%

Teaching method

Poor course preparation 32%

Litter communication with after course 32%

Poor examination system 32%

Generation gap with faculties 29%

Often ask substitute faculty to teach 28%

Suspend class quite often 28%

IT facilities Lack of IT facilities 27%

Factors for dissatisfaction

Factors Response Percentage

Poor campus culture 49%Poor living environment 38%Poor campus academic atmosphere 37%Learning facilities 36%Without contact famous faculties 28%Teaching quality 27%Tension relationship with faculty 07%

Regret for Attending the Institution? Yes.

(Gong, Zhang, Yu and Qu, 2008)

Reform PoliciesProfessor’s teaching hours!Learning behavior!Curriculum? controversial

School-level Curriculum Internationalization Project, 2012, Nanjing University

Paradoxes: the Causes

• Traditional ethics / Civic responsibility (critical thinking)• Scientific & technological thinking / Traditional

humanities （ Jin, Shi, Zi, and Ji）• Traditional humanities / Modern humanities• General education / Literacy competence education.

(Zhu Jiusi,2004; Yang Shuzi; Wang Yiqiu,2006; Zhang

Qizi,2004; Song,2000; Zhang,2010; )

A Survey of undergraduates in Shanghai

51% undergraduates in 5 universities believe that it’s unnecessary to study “The History of China” course any longer (Fan, 2009).

Faculty’s concept of knowledge Chinese archaeologists’ belief and attitude towards

“the Ancient”. There are two tracks of conceptions of “the Ancient”: the reality and ideology (Tang, 2010) .

Cluster Analysis of Learning Behavior (Lu and Zhang, in preparation)

Culture matters rather than ranking positions.

Group A Group B

Nanjing University, Hunan University, Xian Jiaotong University, Seoul National University, Cape Town University,Malaysia University.

Berkeley, Oregon State University, North Carolina State University, Texas State University, Minnessota State University, Unicamp University (Brazil),Amsterdam University.

Reasons for “why keeping silence”

Ego-centered Custom Altruism

A survey after a training program in a huge-conference hall with more than 620 trainees.

Cluster analysis of the reasons?(Lu and Zhang, 2014, in preparation)

(24%)

Lu and Zhang et al, in preparation;Paletz, Peng et al, 2009;

Critical Thinking

Methodology

Communication

A

Experiment

Objectivity

Evidence

HumanWorld

Mind-dependent

Effects

Test

Authority and Experience

Dialogue

A’

B

C

D

E

B’

C’

D’

E’

Understanding of science by students in science major in normal universities.

(Wan Dongsheng, 2014 ， Ph.D. Thesis)

• We have to pay more attention to teaching content, rather than teaching manner.

• The belief of “knowledge” affects the approaches and achievement of student learning (Perry, 1970; Säljö, 1978,1979; Schommer, 1990).

Culture matters!

Natural growth of students Democratic

society

Science-basedknowledge

Learning to become officials

Organized

ethics

Hierarchical social strata

What is Knowledge?(Dewey, 1916)

Strengthen the link with reality of Chinese society. Strengthen curriculum internationalization. Put

Chinese issues in an international perspective. • Only if being placed in today's globalized social

context, can Chinese classics have contemporary educational value in general education.

• The paradoxes, the cognitive dissonance itself, are good teaching materials.

Targets of Improvement

Why GEP?•Survey findings of poor GEP knowledge.•It is a concentrated reflection of a university education aims•Easier for management given the limited curricular resources in China.

Implications for GEP

Nanjing University’s Double-Three Program

1. Focused major2. Multi-majors3. Start a career

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

3000 courses open for all15000 undergraduatesSelective ~ individual needs

Qualitative Comparison General Education Programs

Traditional Humanity

Sciences

Humanity

Modern Humanity

A

CH

T

J

A: AmericaC: ChinaH: HKJ: JapanT: Taiwan

General education aims for a globalized world

• Re-structuring and integrating students’ fragmentary knowledge through improving cross-cultural cognitive competence.

• Develop “One-world Thinking” : civilizations equal.

Natural resources • S&T

Population ∙ Consumption per capita

克里特岛 8000多 km2

（崇明岛 1300km2）

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Thank You!hzhang@nju.edu.cn