Socio-educational contexts of Gāokǎo exam: A qualitative retrospective study of how gāokǎo is perceived by successful exam-takers

Abstract

The Gaokao exam is still a hot topic in contemporary Chinese society designed to select people for the country by testing their knowledge of specific exam subjects. People from all walks of life have different attitudes and understandings towards it. The purpose of this study was to examine how do Chinese female students from Top Universities in China perceive the gāokǎo exam by using a semi-structured, in-depth interview (N = 5) and an open-ended interview questionnaire (N = 7). The findings suggest that an evaluative dichotomy can characterize the exam itself and exam preparation period. Although initially this time was seen in terms of immense sacrifice and was highly intense, positive attitudes to the Gaokao exam dominated, and the exam was considered a relatively fair and equitable selection method. It should be borne in mind that this study does not attempt to be globally representative. However, we do trust that the findings will have a universal appeal to educational communities.