Chinese Education and Learning Activities Outside of Class: What Lies Beyond Basic Education?

Jinjin Lu,Han Jiang

doi:10.5539/ies.v9n4p54

Jinjin Lu, Han Jiang

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v9n4p54

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Abstract

<p class="apa">A considerable number of studies have investigated students’ learning in class and outside of class across subjects such as English, mathematics, and physical education in China and other countries. Scholars have found that students’ activities in class and outside of class are closely related to their learning outcomes, self-regulated learning and future development of transition strategies. However, the relationship between Chinese basic education and students’ choices of activities outside of class has rarely been addressed. Using mixed research methods, this paper examines the relationships between Chinese students’ basic education and their choices of English activities at university. The results showed that the participants’ basic education and senior high school rankings had significant influences on their choices of learning activities out of the class at university level. The paper also highlights occurrences beyond the classroom in the 21st century China.</p>

Highlights

Given the top-down national English language syllabus and curriculum reforms, diverse English language pedagogies, teaching and learning resources and activities must be used both in and out of class in China
This paper examines the relationships between Chinese students’ basic education and their choices of English activities at university
The results showed that the participants’ basic education and senior high school rankings had significant influences on their choices of learning activities out of the class at university level

Summary

Introduction

Given the top-down national English language syllabus and curriculum reforms, diverse English language pedagogies, teaching and learning resources and activities must be used both in and out of class in China. In the first-round national English language syllabus and curriculum reform in the 1990s, the Ministry of Education (MOE) emphasised that improving students’ reading and writing abilities remained the most important task for teachers in schools rather than enhancing students’ communicative language skills. An increasing number of arguments and critiques of this approach have appeared in recent studies (Benson, 2011; Li & Ni, 2012; Richards, 2015) claiming that focusing solely on English reading and writing in English language teaching is likely to increase the number of “mute” and “deaf” learners in China. A large number of Chinese university graduates who achieved high scores on the College English Test Band 4 (CET-4) and the College English Test Band 6 (CET-6) may not be able to communicate effectively with English native speakers

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