The Chinese Educational System and its Affect on Student’s Behavior in the Work Environment

Patrick Huang

The Chinese Educational System and its Affect on Student’s

Behavior in the Work Environment

By: Patrick Huang

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Patrick Huang

Abstract

This paper will begin to discuss the impact of the relationship between the Chinese

schooling system and the Chinese work environment. It is based on empirical and relevant

studies and personal experiences on 2 years of living and working in China, Hong Kong and

Taiwan. This paper will argue how the Chinese grading system of ranking students against one

another has had a negative effect on the way Chinese students are able to work in groups when

graduating university. It also will explore how the grading system has almost “brainwashed”

students into believing that working in groups is not beneficial to one’s mobility and success. It

will investigate how the Chinese schooling system has promoted a sense of individualism for the

people; its implications on ideas and behavior, and what this means for Chinese people and

policies enacted by the government. Finally, I will go into how foreign companies in China can

work around this and foster group work.

Introduction

“Cultures do not talk to each other; individuals do. In that sense, all communication is

interpersonal communication and can never be intercultural communication.”1

The Chinese educational system has been developed and transformed through

generations, along with changes in their government. From early Zhou Dynasty to Confucianism

teachings to the Cultural Revolution, and finally to the post-Mao era teachings the Chinese

educational system has taken many twist and turns. The Chinese educational system has been

molded around the idea of economic development and social progress, particularly the narrowing

1
Scollon, R. and Scollon, S. (1994) The Post-Confucian Confusion. Research Report, no.37 pg 125
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of the gap between the poor rural populations and rich urban populations. During the Chinese

Cultural Revolution of the 1950’s, the idea of social equality and universal education was a key

goal; providing the people of China, regardless of location and social standing with, an equal and

equivalent education. In 1985, China made one of the most important decisions regarding

education. The government decided on nine years of compulsory education for students around

the country. Since then China’s education system has flourished with public, private schools, and

higher learning institutions which have also grown into some of the world’s leading universities.

Today Chinese education is one of the most important arenas of public policy; in 2008 it

received almost 30% of the total budget for the year.

The Chinese education system was developed to give everyone an equal opportunity to

succeed. Chinese educational system has had a profound effect on the way students

conceptualize and understand problems and issues. It has had an everlasting effect on a student’s

natural propensity to work alone through rote memorization. The educational system has also

engrained a work ethic which is not beneficial to most Chinese businesses and corporations.

Loosely, it has also created a sense of individuality rather than a sense of community for many

Chinese citizens.

Background Information

First, it is essential to understand the Chinese education system. Although similar to its

Western counter part, there are key differences between the two educational institutions. One of

the most important differences is the grading system in schools and universities. The Chinese use

a rank-based grading system, which is based on a ranking of its students in a class. Teachers and

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professors for a given class are only allowed to give out a certain number of A’s, B’s, C’s, D’s,

and E’s; this number is determined by the total number of students enrolled in the class. This

distribution is based on the bell curve, as the top percentage of students in the class get an A

while the bottom percentage of the class receive an E This system causes students to compete

against one another for higher grades. “Denigration of others - competition among the comrades

- became endemic”2 This is unlike the Western standard based grading system, where teachers

and professors are able to give out as many A’s, B’s, C’s, D’s, and E’s based on the students

performance. While with the Western grading system students are not competing with one

another, it is an outcome based learning system.

An additional important difference between the two institutions is the teaching style

through which information is provided to the students. In Chinese schools and universities,

concepts are taught to students through lecture and rote memorization. Students take notes on

what teachers and professors say during the lecture then memorize the information. “They

[Asian-born students] learn through rote memorization. There are hardly any experiential and

interactive learning activities in the Asian classrooms. Asian students usually listen to a teacher’s

lecture, take notes copiously and answer teachers’ questions. The classroom talk is dominated by

the teacher. There are hardly any small group activities.”3 Students are almost fed the

information by the instructors. “Students in Hong Kong… expect lecturers to teach them

everything that they are expected to know. They have little desire to discover for themselves or

avail for themselves of the facilities which are available to them within the teaching institution.

2
White, T. Lynn. (1984) Review, The China Quarterly, No. 97 pg 135

3
Clara C. Park, Russell Endo, A. Lin Goodwin (1998) Asian and Pacific American Education pg79
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They wish to be spoon fed and in turn they are spoon fed. Lecturers are under pressure to feed

the students with a certain amount of academic and community needs information and the

simplest way to do it is to adopt the old and traditional approaches to teaching.”4 Chinese

professors teach students what they need to understand a topic while Western professors teach

how those concepts can be applied and used. “A study by Pratt (1999) revealed significant

differences in the perceptions of Hong Kong Chinese teachers and Western expatriate teachers as

to what constituted ‘effective [university] teaching’. These Chinese teachers stressed the

importance of foundational knowledge. They felt students needed to attain mastery of this as a

first step in any discipline. The teacher was perceived to be the authoritative source whose job is

to take students systematically through a set of tasks, step by step, varying the pace according to

students’ understanding”

“Whereas the Western expatriate teachers working in Hong Kong tended to view their

job as the elaboration, application or critique of foundational knowledge. By encouraging

discussion, their aim was to facilitate independent learning so as to bring about a qualitative

change in students’ thinking.”5 While Western schools provide more of an interactive

atmosphere to learning this allows students time for questions and small group activities. “Thus,

Asian American [Asian-born] students come from a highly controlled and structured classroom

environment to a more open and flexible American classroom environment where small group

activities and free discussions are encouraged.”6 Interactive learning is encouraged by instructors

4
Minutes of the Course Planning Committee (1989) pg 13

5
Kennedy, Peter (2002) Learning cultures and learning styles: myth-understandings about adult (Hong Kong)
Chinese learners Int. J. of Lifelong Education, Vol. 21, No. 5 pg 439

6
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and is used as a constructive tool. Interactive learning facilitates abstract thought and

imagination. “Good learning in the West typically revolves around the use of ‘deep approaches’

where students are taught, for example: to use abstract frameworks for conceptualizing the task,

to be ‘metacognitive’ in planning and monitoring their own progress, and that their outcomes are

well structured and integrated.”7 Students are expected to form their own opinions and thoughts

on different issues.

Another key difference between the two educational institutions is the emphasis the

education system puts on the state administered tests. State administered tests are the emphasis

of a student’s education life. Answering problems which are on the test become more important

to the students than the actual theories behind the problem. Although some might argue Western

also cater their learning to standardized tests, it is not on the same degree. Chinese students are

told what to study and what not to study; classes are never taught information which is not on the

standardized test. Analytical and creative thinking are not encouraged as these are not parts of

the test. Key concepts which needed to be understood and applied by students are merely getting

memorized by many Chinese students.

Rank-Based Grading and its Impact on Students

China’s rank based grading system was brought about through the Cultural Revolution in

the 1950’s. It was implemented to give all people of China an equal chance at succeeding. The

rank based system also provided social status for gifted students a way for them to shine out

from the rest. “In traditional society, status was ascribed, for example, by inheritance. Under

7
Chan, Sally. (1999) The Chinese Learner- A Question of Style, Education and Training pg 300
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such circumstances, education reproduced the existing social stratification and educational

institutions were vehicles for the preservation and transmission of life styles.”8

However, China’s rank based grading system is not looked on by other countries as

proficient grading system. The rank based system put students against students; everyone has to

compete against one another for a higher grade. It causes high amounts of competition and

aggressive behavior as each student wants to beat the other student to achieve a top grade.

“Rank-based grading systems are mostly out-of-favor in the contemporary United States. When

rank-based systems are used, in education or employment situations, cutthroat behavior and

cheating become rampant. In some situations, high-scoring students are disliked by their

classmates for raising the curve.”9 This competitiveness can also bring about high levels of stress

and pressure for the students.

As pointed out above rank based grading systems can also promote cheating and deceitful

behavior. Students not only have to worry about studying and doing well on tests but students

also worry about getting a higher grade than their classmates around them. This makes a very

tense atmosphere and can easily lead to cheating or plagiarism. “Cited as a case against rank-

based evaluation specific to employment, Enron used a rank-based evaluation scale; it was

argued that the cutthroat environment created there resulted in the disgrace and downfall of the

corporation.”10 While doing research I found many examples of dishonest behavior. I found

cases where university students were reported of hiding library books, so no other students could
8
Takeuchi, Yo. (1997) The self-activating entrance examination system – its hidden agenda and its correspondence
with the Japanese “salary man”, pg 184

9
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_grading_in_North_America

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use the information. Many see getting a high grade in a class as a tournament; one bad grade will

cause students to fall down against their peers. Rosenbaum describes it as “Tournament mobility

is a selection system in which only the winners at each stage can go on to the next match; losers

are out of the tournament.”11

The competition in the rank-based grading system is fierce as Chinese students realize

how important it is for them to do well in the class. This kind of pressure can have devastating

effects on students, which can range from illnesses to suicide. “One in four university students

from Hong Kong, for example, have been found to suffer high rates of psychological disorders.”
12
With only a certain number of high grades students become cutthroat in order to ultimately do

better later on in life. “Competitiveness and the need to perform well academically is reinforced

in children by social conditioning from family and peer members but could also come in the

form of limited education places available. The result is that students are often taught in large

numbers with class sizes of over 40 and that examinations are often used to measure their

performance frequently”13

Schools Affect of Behavior

Does a school’s environment mold a student? Are students permanently affected by the

way they are socialized in school? Learning is defined as the act or process of acquiring

knowledge or skill. The process of learning is not only done through the classroom but also

11
Takeuchi, Yo. (1997) The self-activating entrance examination system – its hidden agenda and its
correspondence with the Japanese “salary man”, pg 192

12
Yee, A. (1989) Cross Cultural Perspectives on Higher Education in East Asia: Psychological effects upon Asian
Students, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, Vol. 10, No. 3 pg 213-232

13
Bond, M.H. (1991) Beyond the Chinese Face- Insights From Psychology, Oxford University Press
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through everyday experiences and environment. “Learning is the process whereby knowledge is

created through the transformation of experience.”14 People take information in from all sources

and apply it to how they behave and how they learn. “Education is a public phenomenon and

provides public recognition for learning’ whereas learning can be more individualistic, and take

place outside educational institutions at work or at a distance without a teacher present.”15

Mundane and daily activities can be a source of learning and education. “Every (social) situation

is a potential learning experience—though that potential is not always realized—even

miseducative experiences may be regarded as learning experiences.”16 People learn through their

surroundings and what they see going on around them, these being parents, siblings, home,

friends, and school.

Many sociologists believe that students are socialized through the institutions of grade

school and university. Sociologists believe educational institutions have a resounding impact on

a person’s life and how they interact throughout that life. “Such an institution [educational

institutions] clearly has an impact on society over and above the immediate socializing

experiences it offers the young.”17 Educational institutions mold a student and tell them how to

behave in the real-world. Educational institutions set up social norms and standards which

students will follow throughout their lives. “The dominant view has it that the schools process

14

15
Ball, C. (1994) Lifelong learning in a learning society: Who pays? Who benefits? Pg 13

16

17
Meyer, W. John. (1977) The Effects of Education as an Institution, The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 83 No.
1 pg 55
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individuals. They are organized networks of socializing experiences which prepare individuals to

act in society. It has a network of rules creating public classifications of persons and

knowledge.”18 Educational institutions are essential to a person’s growth and development.

People are socialized through the institutions and learn many skills and abilities which they will

take on throughout life. “Education is a central element in the public biography of individuals,

greatly affecting their life chances.”19

Efficient Learning Styles

Learning styles are the way people learn different techniques and strategies used to retain

information. It is defined as “Individuals perceive and process information in very different

ways. The learning styles theory implies that how much individuals learn has more to do with

whether the educational experience is geared toward their particular style of learning than

whether or not they are smart.”20

Many scholars have concluded one of the most effective ways of teaching and educating

students is through group and collaborative learning environments. “Slavin (1983) and Kagan

(1986) observed that cooperative group learning produced gains in academic achievement,

especially among African and Latino students, and developed social skills and better race

relations among all participating students.”21 Group learning allows students to discuss with their

18
1 pg 55

19
1 pg 55

20
http://www.funderstanding.com/content/learning-styles

21
Clara C. Park (1997) Equity and Excellence in Education, Vol. 30, No. 2 pg 70
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peers and really conceptualize different theories and issues. “Student-initiated collaborative

learning strategies have been found to foster the adoption of a deep approach to learning and the

use of high-level cognitive strategies.”22 Group learning provides a perfect learning atmosphere

as students are able to go through problems step by step explaining each step taken. Students

become attentive to other issues and are given a new lens to look through as other group

members are able to bring up viewpoints which might have never been thought about prior.

“[Students] become aware of different perspectives on controversial issues, form judgments

through critical thinking . . . rehearse, organize and clarify information in order to be able to

communicate with the other members.”23

When students work in a group it also invites the idea of a collective good. Students no

longer feel as though they need to compete against their classmates rather they have an outlet to

work with one another. They are able to see themselves as the group and are readily available to

share and divulge information. “For group projects the main influence is the collective affiliation

referred to above. When students have been taught to value communal goals, they should find it

easier to form a coherent and committed team than those who have only been exposed to an

individual competitive ethos.”24 Collaborative learning reinforces the idea of team and working

together to achieve a certain goal. It also brings an easier, less tense atmosphere to the classroom

where students are not competing against one another.

22
Flowerdew, L. (1998) A cultural perspective on group work. English Language Teaching Journal, 52(4), 323–
329.

23
Tang, C. (1996) Collaborative learning pg 183-204

24
Kember, David. (1999) Misconceptions About the Learning Approaches, Motivation and Study Practices of Asian
Students, Pg116
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My Observations and Experiences with the Chinese Educational System

During my time spent studying in Hong Kong, I made many observations about the

Chinese educational system and its delivery of information. One major difference between

United States schooling and Chinese schooling I observed was the lack of group work and

collaborative learning Chinese students participated in. While studying in the United States I

participated in group work or group study session regularly throughout a semester, working on

homework collectively or pooling together information for tests. Chinese students were neither

willing nor available to work in groups. After talking with other exchange students and seeing

that they also encountered the lack of interest in group study sessions from Chinese students I

began to wonder why this was the case.

I came to find out through my roommate, Chinese students did not participate in group

study session because the students did not want to share and exchange their information which

they had gathered throughout the semester; essentially they did not want to help other students.

Unlike American students, Chinese students saw group study sessions detrimental to their overall

grade in a class. Helping other students learn and understand concepts from class was hurting

them and lowering their own chance at a top grade in the class. As I discussed this topic further

with my fellow classmates and my roommate I learned group work has never been looked at as

beneficial throughout a Chinese student’s educational career.

Students are discouraged from participating in groups not only by the professors but also

by the institution itself. Due to the rank-based grading system students did not want to help other

students. Instead of students grouping together and helping one another learn and understand

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concepts in class; students end up studying alone, keeping their own information to themselves

ultimately to benefit them the most. Why would Chinese students help other students? Helping

other students understand topics would make others do better on tests which in turn meant more

competition for higher grades in the classroom. It has made Chinese students individualistically

orientated, and has pushed students away from thinking about the greater good, collective

thinking. The Chinese grading system has put a negative correlation on students working

together and has increased a student’s will to be individualistic.

Propensity to Work in Groups

Through my research I have found contradictory studies on Chinese student’s ability to

work in groups and discuss topics. A lot of research and study has gone into how Chinese

students are actually very efficient and capable of learning differently if given the opportunity.

“Hong Kong City University students who took part in a worldwide computer-mediated

simulation developed some of the attitudes that are said to characterize autonomous learning.

Traditional teacher–learner roles were redefined for the activity, students were no longer told

what to do but had to plan, make decisions, debate, deal with people from other cultures, handle

unpredictability, time management and conflict issues. In the event, they were able to rise to the

challenge and take responsibility for their own learning.”25 In this study Liu and Littewood found

Chinese students could make decisions and handle unpredictability when traditional roles were

redefined. “There is also ample evidence that Asian students are not inherently resistant to

innovative teaching strategies so are perfectly capable of participating actively in their own

25
Liu, N. and Littlewood, W. (1997) Why do many students appear reluctant to participate in classroom
Learning discourse? System, 25(3), 371–384.
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learning. Perceptions that they resist forms of teaching, other than traditional didactic ones,

probably arose because the students were not given time and support to adapt from teaching

styles they had experienced a great deal towards others which they were fresh to.”26 Kember

found Chinese students were able to participate actively in their own learning if new and

innovative teaching strategies were used in the classroom.

However, I have to remark about these studies. These studies show Chinese student’s

ability to learn differently and their capability to use other methods of learning like group

learning and collaborative learning. These studies are only finding Chinese student’s aptitude to

study differently if forced or made to study differently through experiments. These studies are

not finding Chinese student’s propensity or willingness to use these different styles of learning in

everyday work. All of these studies have shown Chinese students inclination to avoid

participating in group learning and collaborative learning. The studies have shown Chinese

students have the highest propensity to learn individually and through rote memorization.

“Concluded that the Chinese display five characteristics which can be taken to summarize

Chinese thinking and behavior: Emphasis on perception of the concrete, non-development of

abstract though, emphasis on particulars not universals, practicality as central focus, and concern

for reconciliation, harmony, and balance”27 Chinese students may be proficient at using group

learning and different learning strategies but because Chinese student’s tendency is to work

individually they will never use these strategies unless made. Having the ability does not mean

that ability is going to be used. “However, students will not be able to develop new study skills

26
Students, Pg117

27
Nakarama, Redding, G. (1990) The Spirit of Chinese Capitalism
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and learning styles if their teachers believe them to be capable of only rote-learning (and related

assessment): ‘if the goal of education is deep learning, then educators in Hong Kong should

adjust their teaching . . . teaching students study skills that the ecology of the classroom does not

support is simply a waste of time’.”28 If the teaching style in the classroom does not foster

collaborating learning, students will revert back to rote memorization and being individualistic.

My Observations and Experiences with the Chinese Work Place Environment

While working in Shanghai I was able to observe first hand how the Chinese job

atmosphere was affected by the schooling system. I worked at a cell phone marketing company.

The department was divided into four different groups. I was stationed in a group with eight

other members. Our group was supposed to study and research Thailand’s need and use for cell

phones in daily life. We were able to use different sources found over the internet and also we

were able to use old sales figures from partner companies.

One thing I found very odd about this was the lack of group meetings. Because of my

work experience in the United States I found group meetings were very helpful when planning

which group member was going to do what. For example while working in the States our group

regularly met seven or eight times a day to discuss our findings and to pool together helpful

sources. However, while working in China our group of eight met once or twice a day. And our

regional group of South-East Asia marketing met three to four times a week. During these group

meetings there was not a lot of sustainable work accomplished. The meeting was to make sure

everybody was doing work. Our group rarely pooled together information regarding research or
28
Ho, I., Salili, F., Biggs, J., and Hau, K. T. (1999) The relationship among causal attributions, learning strategies and
level of achievement: a Hong Kong case study. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Vol. 19 No. 1, pg 44–58
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ideas. Most of the group members were working on the same things; we would be searching on

the same website gathering the same information. Our group could not allocate our resources

efficiently.

While working in Shanghai, I never felt a sense of belonging to the group. In the United

States most groups at work go out after work to relax and chat. While the entire three months in

Shanghai, not once did I go out after work with my co-workers. There was no sense of unity in

our group.

Lack of group communication and allocating of group resources is not beneficial to a

corporation as wasted time is wasted money. It is essential for associates in a company be able to

facilitate and allocate the companies resources efficiently. Through the Chinese education

system the lack of group work and collaborative learning has had a negative impact on

corporations in Asia. “University graduates in Hong Kong who depended on rote learning

methods have been found to lack the originality in their thinking to the extent that the

government is now disputing the applicability of such learning to real-world problems”29

Associates use individual learning, which was learned through the Chinese educational system,

and bring that train of thought to the work environment. Students associate group work and

negatively as in school. While in the work environment managers do not want employees who

withhold important information from other employees, as this is seen as not the most efficient or

economically sound employee.

29
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Conclusion

“If A>B and B>C then A must be greater than C”

-Schools use a rank based grading system. Schools affect a student’s behavior. So, rank based grading systems
affect a student.

As shown through my previous sections I found rank based grading systems, used in

Chinese schools, fosters more individualistic thinking against the collective good, support of

selfish behavior, it promotes competition, cutthroat and aggressive behavior, and a tendency to

cheat. I also found schools affect a student’s lifetime behavior, because schools use a rank based

grading system. Consequently a student’s behavior is going to be affected by the competitiveness

and individuality found in rank based grading systems. Through my research I was also able to

determine group and collaborating learning style was one of the most efficient methods of

teaching. Students were able to remember the most knowledge; students could conceptualize and

understand issues and concepts with greater retention.

I can now relate everything back to the rank based grading system which is the original

cause of: not using the most efficient method of teaching group learning, for students to become

more individualized over the collective good, and for the selfish behavior shown due to the high

amount of competition throughout a student’s life. These findings above also corresponded with

my personal experience with the Chinese educational system and the Chinese work environment.

This rank based grading as shown above has a much deeper effect on a student than not

being able to socialize with peers in groups. Students grow up for the first twenty-two to twenty-

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three years of their life believing group work and sharing information with their peers is

negatively correlated with doing better.

“But Korean (16.15), Chinese (16.39) students show negative preferences for

group learning, showing significant ethnic group differences among the Asian

groups. These findings reveal Korean and Chinese students' rugged individualism

and a competitive spirit in Korean and Chinese classrooms as was expected,

which these two Asian groups appear to bring with them, given that 64 percent of

Asian American students were born in their native countries and almost 47

percent of them were in the United States for less than 10 years. On the other

hand, Korean and Chinese American students' negative preferences for group

learning style could be a reflection of lack of exposure to small group activities in

Korean or Chinese classrooms prior to their immigration to this country, or a

reflection of their relatively limited exposure to such instructional activities since

their immigration, or a reflection of who their teachers are even in the same

schools, given such a wide variety of teaching styles”30

If a person has grown up for twenty years believing group work is bad, after completion of

school, he or she cannot be expected to value group work. “Teachers need to be careful when

placing newly arrived Korean or Chinese students in small groups. They might want to put them

in pairs rather than in groups during their initial adjustment period.”31 Due to the change in

teaching styles newly arrived students from China or Korea have a hard time adjusting and

30

31
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contributing to group work. During a person’s schooling years they are almost “brainwashed”

from the idea of grouping together to complete a specific task. “Reid's (1987) findings suggested

that virtually none of the college ESL [mostly Asian] students chose group learning as a major

learning preference.”32 In a study done on learning styles Chinese and Korean students both were

negatively correlated to learning in groups33 Chinese and Korean students marked that being in

groups was negatively correlated with the learning and efficiency.

This “brainwashing” also has a negative effect on the student’s orientation toward group

thought and the collective good; it makes students more individualistically orientated, more

selfish. “In general, Chinese and Korean students tend to be highly competitive and

individualistic”34 “As a whole, Asian American students who were born in their native countries

prefer more individual learning (17.58) than Asian Americans who were born in the United

States (17.09) or Anglos (16.75)”35 This is a very large problem in the Chinese educational

system. China needs to have citizens who care about China and its progress and not about the

progress of the individual. China needs to emphasize it nationality and exploit the nationalism in

its citizens. Not only does it have a negative effect on the job atmosphere, who expect co-

workers to work together to solve problems, but also has a negative impact on the society as a

whole.

32

33

34

35
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What can be taken from this essay? Companies and teachers need to take steps around

this problem, of lack of group work and involvement. There are ways which a company or

teacher in China can help foster and develop a students propensity to work in a group

environment. Chinese students are good at working in groups, the only problem is Chinese

students tendency not to work in groups. If forced, Chinese students are very good and proficient

at working in groups. “Design teaching, curricula and assessment to foster a deep approach…It is

desirable that course make use of teaching and learning methods which require active

participation of the students”36 Using teaching styles which make students work in groups would

familiarize students with working in groups. “Students accustomed to more teacher-centered

classrooms will need to be given time and support to make the transition to new forms of

learning: ‘any teacher, Western or Eastern, who plans to use methodologies which inevitably

involve students’ participation must make sure that the students are familiar with and accept such

methodologies’ (Cheng 2000: 444). The crucial element is building what Kegan (1994) calls a

‘consciousness bridge’ between the students’ previous learning experiences and the new

approaches.”37 This information can also be brought into companies and the work environment in

China. Forcing employees to work together with one another will have positive outcomes.

Companies can begin to mandate group work between employees and mandate the number of

times groups meet a day. Companies can also have outing events which help employees get to

know one another and where employees begin to feel more and more comfortable with one

another. These techniques will be able to increase productivity in the work place and make a

work environment much more comfortable and easier to work in.
36
Students, Pg118

37
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While researching this topic I began to see how this idea of individualism versus the

collective good could be used to describe Chinese society as a whole. I thought back to my time

spent in China and some differences I noticed in society. The lack of lines in Chinese society

stood out to me as something very different. Lines were not used when getting on the bus,

getting on the subway, or even to order McDonalds! I began to wonder, could be traced back to

the lack of collective thinking taught through school or was this due to something else in Chinese

society? This also made me think about a bigger issues going on in China. I began to think about

Chinese workers. The Chinese government has made steps on improving a worker’s wages and

work environment, but due to the Chinese worker’s propensity to work at a lower than the

minimum wage, and lower standards in their work environment. They were undermining steps

made by the Chinese government to help the collective good of all Chinese workers. Could this

problem be traced back to the grading and educational system, reinforcing selfish, help yourself

behavior or was this tied to something else in Chinese society? I hope further research and

investigation is done on this topic. As there are many questions still unanswered.

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Bibliography
Ball, C. (1994) Lifelong learning in a learning society: Who pays? Who benefits? Pg 13

Bond, M.H. (1991) Beyond the Chinese Face- Insights From Psychology, Oxford University Press


Clara C. Park (1997) Equity and Excellence in Education, Vol. 30, No. 2 pg 70, 73, 75-76


Flowerdew, L. (1998) A cultural perspective on group work. English Language Teaching Journal, 52(4), 323–
329.

Ho, I., Salili, F., Biggs, J., and Hau, K. T. (1999) The relationship among causal attributions, learning strategies and
level of achievement: a Hong Kong case study. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Vol. 19 No. 1, pg 44–58

Students, Pg116-118

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The Chinese Educational System and its Affect on Student’s Behavior in the Work Environment

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