Week 7
Monday, 25 October 2021 6:26 PM
Experiencing the change and continuity of the college entrance exam
A case study of Gaokao county 1996-2010
- Interviews show there has been
○ Change and continuity in beliefs about the CEE
○ Associated values like Chi Ku - eating bitterness
○ And perceived fairness of the exams
- The term gaokao county can be traced back to 1990s
○ It challenged the assumption that the most successful
gaokao students are those educated in the best city schools
○ Some reported that their success was the result of
extremely hardworking students and commitment of
families and financial commitment made by government
which waived students repeating senior years tuition
First encounter
- Summer of 1996
- Student was exposed to two sources that recommended he visit
the gaokao county
○ His school
§ Organized student trips
○ A local tour agency
§ Many organized special experiential tour package for
CEE candidates
- He took the trip and was highly encouraged by his teachers /
parents to do so
○ Countries appearance
§ Many little buildings among the shabby houses
□ Told stories of previous gaokao successors and
how they now have the money to reward their
families back with decent dwellings
○ Told that the theme of their study tour was achieving your
dreams
§ With dream being admission to a good university
through success in CEE
□ Different than what he assumed it would be
□ Some thought it would focus on lower levels
involving cultivation of hard work and
, dreams
§ With dream being admission to a good university
through success in CEE
□ Different than what he assumed it would be
□ Some thought it would focus on lower levels
involving cultivation of hard work and
persistence
- Principles optimism was mixed with a sense of pride
○ Students also very proud
- In media
○ They omitted the fact that all the successful students were
those that repeated their third year many times
○ This was perceived as a way to demonstrate commitment
- Left him with 2 contradictory impression
○ The gaokao miracle involved hard work and persistence that
was shown in media / teachers discourse
○ Second the devotion to studying and sacrificing that was
honored felt paradoxical and left him unsettled
Second encounter
- 2001 as a volunteer teacher as a sophomore student in Lanzhou
university
- Went back to huinjing
○ Noticed even more two story buildings among the shabby
houses
§ Tales surrounding these buildings involved business
entrepreneurs as well as government officials
§ The addition of business success market a new
chapter in the narratives of the hardworking children
○ There was a newly renovated government building
§ Improvements funded by successful students
- Noticed a large student teacher ratio
○ 40-50:1
○ Many students crammed into one classroom
○ Students didn’t get attention unless they were the most
promising students
§ Only top 5-10 students would be given individual
attention by their teachers
□ Most of them had already repeated senior year
2-3 times
§ This competition for attention became a motivating
factor
§ However he still helped those at bottom of the class
□ Ranking information was easy to find
® Previous scores were up on the walls
□ Other students were surprised to see him
helping a low ranking student
Monday, 25 October 2021 6:26 PM
Experiencing the change and continuity of the college entrance exam
A case study of Gaokao county 1996-2010
- Interviews show there has been
○ Change and continuity in beliefs about the CEE
○ Associated values like Chi Ku - eating bitterness
○ And perceived fairness of the exams
- The term gaokao county can be traced back to 1990s
○ It challenged the assumption that the most successful
gaokao students are those educated in the best city schools
○ Some reported that their success was the result of
extremely hardworking students and commitment of
families and financial commitment made by government
which waived students repeating senior years tuition
First encounter
- Summer of 1996
- Student was exposed to two sources that recommended he visit
the gaokao county
○ His school
§ Organized student trips
○ A local tour agency
§ Many organized special experiential tour package for
CEE candidates
- He took the trip and was highly encouraged by his teachers /
parents to do so
○ Countries appearance
§ Many little buildings among the shabby houses
□ Told stories of previous gaokao successors and
how they now have the money to reward their
families back with decent dwellings
○ Told that the theme of their study tour was achieving your
dreams
§ With dream being admission to a good university
through success in CEE
□ Different than what he assumed it would be
□ Some thought it would focus on lower levels
involving cultivation of hard work and
, dreams
§ With dream being admission to a good university
through success in CEE
□ Different than what he assumed it would be
□ Some thought it would focus on lower levels
involving cultivation of hard work and
persistence
- Principles optimism was mixed with a sense of pride
○ Students also very proud
- In media
○ They omitted the fact that all the successful students were
those that repeated their third year many times
○ This was perceived as a way to demonstrate commitment
- Left him with 2 contradictory impression
○ The gaokao miracle involved hard work and persistence that
was shown in media / teachers discourse
○ Second the devotion to studying and sacrificing that was
honored felt paradoxical and left him unsettled
Second encounter
- 2001 as a volunteer teacher as a sophomore student in Lanzhou
university
- Went back to huinjing
○ Noticed even more two story buildings among the shabby
houses
§ Tales surrounding these buildings involved business
entrepreneurs as well as government officials
§ The addition of business success market a new
chapter in the narratives of the hardworking children
○ There was a newly renovated government building
§ Improvements funded by successful students
- Noticed a large student teacher ratio
○ 40-50:1
○ Many students crammed into one classroom
○ Students didn’t get attention unless they were the most
promising students
§ Only top 5-10 students would be given individual
attention by their teachers
□ Most of them had already repeated senior year
2-3 times
§ This competition for attention became a motivating
factor
§ However he still helped those at bottom of the class
□ Ranking information was easy to find
® Previous scores were up on the walls
□ Other students were surprised to see him
helping a low ranking student
