華東師範大(dà)學學報(教育科學版) ›› 2016, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (1): 69-75.doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2016.01.010

• 教育公平研究 • 上一篇    下(xià)一篇

高(gāo)考成績性别差異研究的(de)回顧與展望

邵志芳,龐維國   

  1. 華東師範大(dà)學心理(lǐ)與認知科學學院 上海 200062
  • 出版日期:2016-03-15 發布日期:2016-03-31
  • 通(tōng)訊作者: 邵志芳,龐維國
  • 作者簡介:邵志芳,龐維國
  • 基金資助:

    2014年度教育部人(rén)文社會科學研究規劃基金項目“近10年高(gāo)考試題難度的(de)性别差異研究”,項目批準号:14YJA190010。

Looking back and ahead: Research on Gender Gap in China’s College Entrance Examination Scores

SHAO Zhi-Fang,PANG Wei-Guo   

  1. School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
  • Online:2016-03-15 Published:2016-03-31
  • Contact: SHAO Zhi-Fang,PANG Wei-Guo
  • About author:SHAO Zhi-Fang,PANG Wei-Guo

摘要: 進入21世紀以來(lái),中國大(dà)陸女(nǚ)生通(tōng)過高(gāo)考成爲普通(tōng)高(gāo)校學生的(de)比例持續攀升,新生錄取的(de)性别比例已從男(nán)生多(duō)于女(nǚ)生變成女(nǚ)生多(duō)于男(nán)生,以至于有人(rén)呼籲要“拯救男(nán)孩”。本文回顧了(le)近年來(lái)國内外關于高(gāo)考成績性别差異的(de)相關文獻,從高(gāo)考總分(fēn)和(hé)科目分(fēn)的(de)性别差異、不同科目内容和(hé)認知目标上的(de)性别差異、兩性成績差異的(de)成因和(hé)影(yǐng)響因素等多(duō)個(gè)側面,對(duì)性别差異的(de)相關問題進行了(le)初步的(de)梳理(lǐ)。結果顯示,高(gāo)考成績的(de)性别差異确實存在,并可(kě)能影(yǐng)響高(gāo)校錄取性别比例;但性别差異的(de)成因與影(yǐng)響因素十分(fēn)複雜(zá),各種研究所得(de)的(de)結果也(yě)不盡相同。以此爲基礎,本文進一步討(tǎo)論了(le)高(gāo)考成績性别差異研究存在的(de)問題和(hé)可(kě)能的(de)研究方向。

Abstract: Published data from the Ministry of Education of China show that more female students than male students in Mainland China passed the college entrance examination. In 2013, the female-male ratio of college admission rose up to 55:45. As a result, the percentage of female graduate students reached 51.65%, and that of female undergraduate students reached 52.12%. Meanwhile, the percentage of female students in high schools is less than 50%. Such a situation might be considered as a sign of development of China, as it happened in many developed countries earlier. But its potential consequences should be studied. The gender gap in college entrance examination scores might lead to the increase of the number of female students in high education institutions. Meanwhile, this gender gap might be widened under the proposed reform of National College Entrance Exam (NCEE), where students would take only three subjects (mathematics, Chinese and Foreign Language). Female students are better at the latter two than male students. As a response to this situation, some people even propose to “save the boys.” The present article reviews some recent major studies on the gender gap in college entrance examination scores from multiple perspectives: the gender gap in college entrance examination scores and of subject (Mathematics, Chinese, and Foreign Language) scores; the gender gaps in subfields of a given subject; the gender differences in cognitive goals and the causes of these gaps. This review reveals that in general there exists an academic gender gap in college entrance examination. Some studies show that the gender difference is not significant in mathematics, whereas females perform significantly better than males in Chinese and English. Subfields of a given subject might have different modes of gender gap: some may be positive (males better than females), whereas others negative. The gender gap influences the university admission ratio of males to females. Competing results are found due to the complicated influential factors, including psycho-traits, behavioral and emotional differences. Although some studies propose that gender differences in most psycho-traits were very small, they also point out that men are better at science, mechanical reasoning and spatial ability, while women are better at language, perception and arithmetic. Gender gap also takes the form of behavioral or emotional differences when students are coping with their learning and tests. Other factors involve motivation, anxiety, personal traits, social economic status, self-concept level, cognitive self-regulation, locus of control, competitiveness of test situation, and type of schools. Females can get more offers when they submit their applications after learning their exact NCEE scores. In conclusion, this article poses a number of problems to be solved. For example, is it necessary for NCEE to measure or even reduce the gender gap? How to manipulate the item characteristics to change the gender gap size? There are also some unknown causes of gender gap (including the possible difference of male and female’s score distribution). We know little about the consequences of current female-male ratio of college admission, including the problem of educational equity, females’ adaptation in their college career. A meta-analysis of studies on gender gap is needed in order to draw stronger conclusions.