College Entrance Research Articles

Stress and Cognitive Performance: Evidence from a South Korean Earthquake

Abstract Studies have identified negative effects of cortisol, a stress hormone, on academic performance. Because natural disasters induce community-wide stress, students who experience natural disasters may subsequently perform worse academically. Our study is the first to examine the immediate effects of close exposure to a natural disaster on academic performance. We examine the impact of the 2017 Pohang earthquake in South Korea on college entrance exam scores. The 5.4 magnitude quake occurred one day before the scheduled nationwide college entrance exam date, necessitating its postponement for one week. Several aftershocks occurred during that postponement period. We find that the earthquake decreased the reading test scores of students in the Pohang area by 0.05 standard deviation but had no effect on math test scores. The reading test was administered earlier in the day than the math test, so these findings suggest that students taking exams in post-traumatic situations might be able to perform better after a warm-up testing period. Finally, male students suffered the largest adverse impacts on their reading test scores, with serious implications given the high-stakes nature of the exams.

Java web development: Design and implementation

As society becomes more and more competitive, the pressure of exams faced by students is also increasing. For example, high school students are about to face the college entrance examination, college students face the graduate school examination, graduates face the job, and many other problems. The pressure on students is increasing, which may lead to psychological problems that may jeopardize their physical and mental health. To prevent students from having psychological issues, this project researched a Java web that analyzed students heart problems and provided corresponding solutions according to the problems. In this Java web, a heart questionnaire evaluation is provided, which is divided into selective questions and scored according to the users filling in the situation. According to the users scores combined with the big data, the users existing heart problems was analyzed. The users score is combined with big data to analyze the users heart problems, and finally feedback to the users heart problem suggestions. This mental health assessment helps students to face the stress of lifes difficulties positively and to maintain a positive attitude to deal with any difficulties.

The Influences of Reforms of Higher Education in China on Education Equality

Thanks to the rapid development of a knowledge-based economy, people rely more and more on higher education. Thus, they pay more attention to the equality of higher education. This essay discusses the influences of three significant higher education reforms, including reforms during the Cultural Revolution, resumption, expansion, and reforms of the National College Entrance Examination on education equality. Unlike traditional opinions that reforms during the Cultural Revolution were a disaster to higher education, the research finds that reforms during the Cultural Revolution helped reduce education inequality among social classes and narrow the gap in education resources between urban areas and rural areas. During the commencement of the National College Entrance Examination, students face a challenging and limited opportunity to pursue higher education. It increases education inequality across regions and ethnic groups and widens the gap of education resources and chances between rural migrants and local residents. The expansion and reforms of the National College Entrance Examination provide students more opportunities to acquire access to higher education and give students who need to improve at mandatory subjects but have talents in other fields a chance to enter universities without a high score in the National College Entrance Examination.

Chinese University Students' Growth in Critical Thinking: Accounting for School Transition and Selection Effects

Evaluating cognitive ability and skills development in higher education presents challenges because the focal outcome often serves as, or at least is reflected in, selection criteria for college admission decisions. Additionally, the baseline abilities and skills gained from earlier educational experiences impact students' further learning outcomes. To address these challenges, we propose an integrated framework for estimating students' growth that accounts for lasting transition effects and varying selection effects. Using a nationally representative longitudinal sample of Chinese university students, we found that students experienced medium-sized growth (0.67) in critical thinking skills, with a large effect size observed for evaluating the reasoning of an argument, a medium effect size for evaluating argument implications, and no significant growth in evaluating argument credibility. Our estimates of transition effects showed that the impact of earlier education experience on students' critical thinking growth diminished in the college years. After controlling students' socioeconomic status and the college entrance examination scores, we found that the within-university advantage in the college entrance examination served as a factor in explaining the university impacts on students’ critical thinking. Our findings provide rich insights into improving the evaluation of critical thinking skills in Chinese universities, and our illustrative framework can also be applied to similar education contexts.

Effects of Entry Grades on Students' Academic Performance Under Homogeneous Educational Resources.

A minor difference in college entrance examination scores can result in vastly different educational resources in China, so it has been debated whether it is the difference in the student population or the difference in educational resources that causes the difference in medical graduates. We aimed to evaluate the effects of entry grades on students' academic performance under homogeneous educational resources. Students in grade 2016 with 13-point difference in the average admission scores of 2 medicine schools in Sun Yat-sen University were educated in mixed classes and were taught with the same educators during the 5 years of undergraduate period. The grades, graduation, and postgraduate enrollment rates of the students were compared between the two campuses. The average admission scores for Shenzhen Campus (SZC) students are 13 points lower than those of Guangzhou North Campus (GZNC) (613 points vs 626 points). After 5 years of homogeneous education, comparing the GZNC students with the SZC students, there were no significant differences in the average total score (80.2 ± 4.6 vs 80.0 ± 5.6, P = 0.691), the average compulsory course (78.9 ± 3.4 vs 78.4 ± 6.1, P = 0.438), the average core course score (78.8 ± 7.4 vs 78.7 ± 5.0, P=0.860) and the average clerkship score (85.1 ± 7.2 vs 84.6 ± 2.7, P=0.275). However, the completion rate for SZC was higher than for GZNC (93.94% vs 86.27%, P=0.009). There was no statistical difference in postgraduate enrolment between the two institutions (P=0.758). Given the same educational resources, more medical students with lower entrance scores completed their studies and achieved the same percentage of postgraduate acceptance. This finding suggests that a key component of improving the quality of medical higher education in China may be to further rationalize the allocation of high-quality educational resources, rather than to pursuing students with high entrance examination scores.

The double-edged sword of de-tracking reforms in Germany: Using a Difference-in-Differences approach to estimate effects on students' educational aspirations and their association with students' socioeconomic backgrounds

Some German states recently reformed their tracking practices by reducing the number of secondary school track options from up to four to a two-path structure, in which students can continue their school career until they acquire the general university entrance qualification in both tracks (academic and comprehensive). We examine whether these de-tracking reforms were, as intended, associated with a change in students’ educational aspirations and whether they reduced socioeconomic disparities in students’ educational aspirations. We analyze representative data of around 65,000 ninth graders from states with and without reforms from pre- and post-reform periods (2012 to 2018), using a Difference-in-Differences approach and a regression of students’ educational aspirations on their socioeconomic backgrounds. Our results suggest that students’ educational aspirations have increased in the wake of the de-tracking reforms, but that socioeconomic disparities in students’ educational aspirations have increased rather than weakened. Implications for tracking practices and socioeconomic disparities are discussed.

Pacific Islands Families Study: Food insecurity during pregnancy and secondary school educational achievement

The nutritional environment in early life is a key factor for brain development and function. It is important to understand the relationship between early life nutrition and academic achievement in adolescence. The Pacific Islands families (PIF) birth cohort(1) were born in the year 2000. When their child was 6 weeks old mothers were asked questions concerning food security over the last year. Two binary measures of food security were derived as previously used in PIF and also by the Ministry of Health (MOH). Records of academic achievement for 649 youth were obtained from the National Certificate of Educational Achievement database in 2019. Highest qualifications and a composite ranking score allowed achievement to be assessed at levels 1, 2 and 3 of NCEA and for University Entrance (UE, lowest to highest). More females (27%) than males (18%) achieved UE as their highest qualification and more males (40%) than females (31%) achieved level 1 or 2 as their highest qualification. UE was achieved by 25% of those born into food secure households and 17% from food insecure households. Logistic regression demonstrated that being female increased the odds of achieving UE 1.8 fold and food security a further 1.6 fold. The prevalence of food insecurity was not different by sex but high at 29% and 42% using the PIF and MOH measure of food insecurity respectively. This work emphasises the importance of maternal and early life food security for subsequent academic achievement and the well-being of future generations.

A Study on the Economic Education According to the Change of High School Curriculum and College Entrance in China

A Study on the Economic Education According to the Change of High School Curriculum and College Entrance in China

제3국 출생 탈북민 자녀들의 영어 학습 동기: 회고적 모티그래프와 면담을 통한 사례연구

This research aims to explore the factors that influence the motivation and demotivation
 of third-country-born North Korean defectors in their English learning experiences, both before
 and after settling in South Korea. Motigraph and semi-structured interviews were conducted
 with two third-country-born North Korean defectors, and the transcribed interviews were
 analyzed based on Grounded theory. Overall, motivation to learn English significantly
 increased after settlement in South Korea. Prior to settlement, factors such as accessible or
 easy English classes and the aspiration to enter middle school positively impacted motivation,
 whereas memorization-oriented teaching methods decreased English learning motivation.
 Post-settlement, specific learning goals such as employment or university entrance, teacher
 encouragement, and comparison with South Korean students, emerged as motivating factors.
 However, challenges such as learning English grammar and difficulties with English language
 acquisition in a Korean-speaking environment made learning English difficult. Finally, we
 discussed strategies to assist third-country-born North Korean defectors in adapting to English
 education after settling in South Korea, focusing on practical and educational support.

북한이탈대학생 대학입시특별전형에 관한 쟁점과 개선방안 연구

This study analyzed the collegiate experiences of North Korean defector students admitted via special admissions, scrutinized the challenges of this system, and proposed enhancements. Employing a qualitative case study approach, it involved 10 defector students and 6 experts, including professors and field specialists, totaling 16 participants. Data from Focus Group Interviews (FGI) highlighted six themes across two categories about the special admissions process challenges. The first category showed the positive impact of special admissions, such as facilitating university entry for defectors, enhancing their social capital, and aiding integration into Korean society. The second category focused on challenges like academic gaps, anxiety over their special admission status, and career choice difficulties. These findings, compared with previous research, underscored three main issues with the special admissions system. The study suggests improvements to better support North Korean defector students.

고3 수험생 자녀를 둔 아버지의 가족관계 경험

The purpose of this study is to explore family relationship experiences of a father whose child prepares college entrance and to find out its meaning. In-depth interviews were conducted with five fathers. The data was analyzed based on Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Participants in the study experienced family relationships by “taking a step back from feelings that cannot be revealed,” “accumulated anxiety and burden”, “increasing authority through mediation and decision-making assistance,” and “invisible hard work and maturity”. Participants experienced anxiety and fear of damage to family relationships while supporting children’s college entrance exams, but could not reveal them. Participants used distancing and rationalization strategies in their children’s academic areas to eliminate worries and anxiety. Participants listened to their wives who were tired of applying for the entrance exam, cared for their children who were sensitive to the entrance exam, and at the same time, were physically exhausted by the burden of private education expenses and supporting their children. Participants experienced the ability to mediate conflicts between children and wives with a rational attitude and help their children make decisions. In this process, the participants felt sorry for their lack at the limit of accountability as middle-aged office workers and fathers, and they could not see their hard work and maturity. This study presented the father’s subjective world experiences and provided an understanding of multi-layered family relationships.

<언어와 매체>에 대한 수용자의 인식

This study investigated the perceptions of readers of the <Language and Media> textbook and attempted to collect basic data needed to create a more progressive <Language and Media> textbook. As a result of the study, first, it was said that the content was too verbose and that it was somewhat unusable as a guidebook for preparing for the college entrance exam. Second, ‘cases’ or ‘examples’ were proposed for the elements needed for the <Language and Media> textbook, and it was hoped that a difficulty level directly related to the CSAT would be created and that many related problems would be included in the textbook. Third, major improvements in language learning included an increase in the number of problems, measures to improve usability, and improved readability of grammatical content, and improvements in media learning included the enhancement of the role of media learning and improvements in expression methods according to changes in the times. presented. Fourth, most respondents responded positively to learning by separating language and media. Fifth, in order for <Language and Media> to be helpful in real life, it was suggested that the contents of media learning should be prioritized over linguistic learning, and it was argued that the study of media ethics should begin sooner.

Comparative analysis of GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.0 in Taiwan's medical technologist certification: A study in artificial intelligence advancements.

This study examines the comparative effectiveness of GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.0, in the certification of medical technologists (MT) in Taiwan, exploring their adeptness in processing complex medical language and their contributory role in the educational and communicative aspects of professional healthcare training. This study used GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.0 to test the medical laboratory technician professional college entrance examination questions. The questions in different fields, including six subjects, such as Clinical Physiology and Pathology, Hematology, and Blood Bank, among others were answered one-on-one using two generative pretrained transformer (GPT) versions, simulating the situations during exam preparation. A total of 480 questions were analyzed and the results showed that both versions of the GPT met the certification standards. Version 4.0 was better than version 3.5 for all subjects, particularly in Clinical Biochemistry (score = 96.25) and Microbiology (score = 91.25). Outstanding performance compared to version 3.5, which had an average score of 65.42 and a maximum score of 77.5. Overall, version 4.0, which was significantly better than version 3.5 in both median and average scores, reflects a significant improvement in professional knowledge processing capabilities. The GPT can provide valuable support for both the upstream and downstream processes of MT certification. Future research can further explore the application of GPT in different educational and certification contexts and improve the passing rate of medical personnel in the certification process. This study provides useful information for exploring the potential applications of GPT in certifying medical examiners. Furthermore, it provides new directions for future research in medical education.

Determining materials and communication needs of students with visual impairments in mathematics tests: Case of university entrance exam in Türkiye

The study explored the perspectives of students with visual impairments regarding the practices of human readers in the mathematics tests of university entrance exams in Türkiye, focusing on communication difficulties and material preferences. This qualitative study used a case study design. The participants consisted of 20 students who participated in the transition to higher education exam between 2020 and 2022. A demographic survey was conducted first, followed by a semi-structured interview. Thematic coding was used to analyze data to capture the themes that emerged in the study. These themes were materials used in mathematical tests and communication with human readers. The study revealed that the human readers’ verbal and written communication skills in mathematics may affect the test performance of students with visual impairments. The study also highlighted that most students relied on low-tech devices due to the lack of knowledge and access to high-tech assistive technology devices. While they preferred using braille booklets and high-tech assistive technology devices, many students felt uncomfortable with these options due to their unfamiliarity. This research emphasizes the need for comprehensive training for human readers, especially in mathematical communication, to improve the overall test-taking experience for students with visual impairments. It also highlights the importance of providing adequate training in the use of high-tech assistive technology devices. In addition, collaboration between teachers of students with visual impairments and testing agencies can facilitate the development of more accessible test environments, ensuring equal opportunities for those with visual impairments.

Schooling opportunities for 5-year-olds: some early origins of high school achievement

In many countries, school attendance starts on a fixed date. In contrast, New Zealand uses rolling admissions and children can start school throughout the year, right after their fifth birthday. However, children turning five during a school holiday need to wait until the start of the following teaching term. This system generates an exogenous variation in the amount of time spent in primary school and enables us to estimate the causal effects of early schooling, independent from the effects of age. Using rich microdata on all high school leavers in New Zealand from 2009 to 2016, we find that an additional month of early schooling increases the probability of achieving a top high school certificate by 6% and qualifying for university entrance by 5%. These are large long-term effects.

Six Years Later: Examining the Academic and Employment Outcomes of the Original and Reinstated Summer Pell Grant

Abstract The Pell Grant, while offering substantial financial support for low-income students pursuing higher education, historically covered only the costs of two full-time semesters per year and did not include assistance for summer courses. Research has consistently demonstrated that continuous enrollment throughout the academic year enhances college persistence and degree completion. In response to this understanding, the Summer Pell (SP) program was introduced in the summer of 2009, providing eligible low-income students with an additional grant to cover summer tuition and related expenses. However, after a brief period of operation, the SP program was discontinued in 2011, only to be reinstated in 2017. We utilize administrative data obtained from New York City in the context of differences-in-differences analyses spanning both program periods, and find that SP-eligible students exhibited a higher retention rate in the fall of their second year, achieved higher rates of associate's and bachelor's degree attainment, and experienced greater earnings gains up to nine years after college entry compared with SP-ineligible students. Our analysis of heterogeneity further underscores that the benefits of the SP program were pronounced among Black students and older students.

Application of 7E Teaching Methods in Classroom Teaching under the Background of the New College Entrance Examination Reform—Taking High School Biology "Active transportation" Teaching as an Example

The reform of the new college entrance examination has put forward brand-new requirements for the teaching of current disciplines. The new college entrance examination not only requires students to be able to master knowledge,but also requires students to learn to learn in the process of learning, to master the method of learning, and to improve the core qualities of disciplines. This paper explores the 7E teaching model, taking the teaching of "active transport" in high school biology as an example, and practices teaching based on the 7E teaching model, through stimulation (creating a situation to stimulate students' desire for knowledge), participation (guiding students to participate in the learning of new knowledge), exploration (carrying out exploration activities to create new models), explanation (summarizing knowledge to deepen the concept), refinement (understanding examples, agreeing with the meaning), evaluation (sorting out and summarizing the return to the core concepts), and extension (connecting the theory with the reality to promote the extension of the concept), to help students stimulate the learning process. Concept extension, to help students stimulate the desire to learn, actively participate in the new knowledge, explore new activities, explain new concepts, speech simple hack, clear organization, learning, thinking and using coherent, knowledge, action, and belief in unity. This deepens students' understanding of knowledge and concepts, guides students to discover, explore, and solve problems in real situations, and students pay more attention to the process of knowledge formation, the knowledge structure of the series, and the generalization of the knowledge system. It fully improves the classroom effect and learning efficiency, promotes the overall development of students as a whole, and enhances the core literacy of students in the discipline of biology, to realize the purpose of the new college entrance examination reform.

Beyond the Test Score: The Broader Use of MUET in Malaysian Higher Education

The present study seeks to explore the test use and consequences of the Malaysian University English Test (MUET), a high-stakes university entry test in Malaysia that is used as an entry requirement for undergraduate education in Malaysia. It is deemed important to look into the consequences, particularly its washback associated with the use and interpretation of MUET as these consequences need to be understood in relation to the context in which the test is being implemented. Evaluation of large-scale assessment programs that are implemented to enhance educational quality involves investigating both their intended and unintended consequences. Therefore, this study sets out to examine both the intended and actual use and consequences of the MUET. Participants of this study include MUET test developers and students who have already taken the MUET and are currently situated in a diverse educational environment. A qualitative method was employed by means of document analysis and focused-group discussion. It was found that MUET has an impact in academic contexts as the students’ experience of taking MUET has improved their proficiency in English as well as their motivation to learn English.

Implementing an integrated natural sciences course in Ukrainian high schools: A nationwide experiment from 2018-2022

From 2018 to 2022, Ukraine conducted a significant nationwide experiment to implement an integrated natural sciences course for students in grades 10-11 of general secondary education institutions. This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of the context, design, implementation, and outcomes of this initiative, drawing on the final report and case studies of participating schools. The integrated course sought to develop students' scientific worldview and understanding of cross-cutting relationships between the natural science disciplines of biology, physics, chemistry, astronomy, geography, and ecology. Results indicate the experiment had a positive impact on students' motivation and performance in science. However, ongoing challenges include the need for more teacher training, resources, and alignment with university entrance exams. The Ukrainian experience offers valuable lessons for other countries seeking to reform science education through curriculum integration. This paper discusses the experiment's design, implementation process, outcomes, and implications for future research and practice in integrated science education.

Cultural influences on Gender Gap in test scores: findings from Afghanistan’s university entrance examination

ABSTRACT We estimate the gender gap in test scores using administrative data from Afghanistan. Using student-level information, we construct household-level data. We report the gender gap in test scores by exploiting various household sibling structures. We examine the culture of sending siblings to gender-specific schools. Our results indicate that cultural rectitude might drive the gender gap and ‘not’ the inherent biological differences in abilities.