Page 27 - THE SOUTH CHINA BUSINESS JOURNAL
P. 27
eloped by ETS that measure students' ability physics compared to freshmen in both India
to develop valid arguments, evaluate evidence, and Russia. Yet, China's advantage in math
understand implications and consequences, and and physics skills narrows substantially after
differentiate between causation and explanation. two years. While students in India and Russia
First-year students in China and U.S. experience positive and significant gains,
have higher critical thinking skills. especially in math, students in China make
Freshmen students in China exhibit comparable negligible to negative progress (i.e., they lose skills).
levels of critical thinking skills to peers in the By the end of sophomore year, student advantage
U.S., and both score higher on these measures in STEM skills in China narrows considerably.
than freshmen in India and Russia. Are China's investments in higher
Declining critical thinking skills in the education paying off?
latter half of college in China. This analysis sheds light on the capacity of four
Students in China, India, and Russia show major economies to produce skilled graduates
virtually no improvements in their critical in STEM fields, which may have important
thinking skills after two years of college. They implications for their economic development and
then exhibit declines during their final two years. competitiveness. When undergraduates in China
By contrast, students in the U.S. make significant begin their college careers, they consistently
strides in critical thinking during their junior outperform students in India and Russia in both
and senior years. Thus, despite similar scores critical thinking skills and STEM skills. Yet,
at the outset, students in China score much the critical thinking and STEM skills of China’s
lower by their senior year than their fourth-year undergraduates decline over the four years of
counterparts in the U.S. their college education.
Narrowing advantage in mathematics These findings raise questions about the quality
and physics for students in China. of China's higher STEM education system.
Freshmen in China display significantly more Specifically, is China's increasing public
advanced STEM skills in mathematics and investment in universities effective at equipping
students with skills critical for its push to build an
innovative economy and escape the middle income trap?
Levels and gains over four years of college with benchmarks Levels and gains after two years of college
from the U.S. (in standard deviation units). across three countries (in standard deviation units).
SOSUOTUHTCHHCINHAINBAUBSUINSEINSESSJSOJUORUNRANLAL2424
to develop valid arguments, evaluate evidence, and Russia. Yet, China's advantage in math
understand implications and consequences, and and physics skills narrows substantially after
differentiate between causation and explanation. two years. While students in India and Russia
First-year students in China and U.S. experience positive and significant gains,
have higher critical thinking skills. especially in math, students in China make
Freshmen students in China exhibit comparable negligible to negative progress (i.e., they lose skills).
levels of critical thinking skills to peers in the By the end of sophomore year, student advantage
U.S., and both score higher on these measures in STEM skills in China narrows considerably.
than freshmen in India and Russia. Are China's investments in higher
Declining critical thinking skills in the education paying off?
latter half of college in China. This analysis sheds light on the capacity of four
Students in China, India, and Russia show major economies to produce skilled graduates
virtually no improvements in their critical in STEM fields, which may have important
thinking skills after two years of college. They implications for their economic development and
then exhibit declines during their final two years. competitiveness. When undergraduates in China
By contrast, students in the U.S. make significant begin their college careers, they consistently
strides in critical thinking during their junior outperform students in India and Russia in both
and senior years. Thus, despite similar scores critical thinking skills and STEM skills. Yet,
at the outset, students in China score much the critical thinking and STEM skills of China’s
lower by their senior year than their fourth-year undergraduates decline over the four years of
counterparts in the U.S. their college education.
Narrowing advantage in mathematics These findings raise questions about the quality
and physics for students in China. of China's higher STEM education system.
Freshmen in China display significantly more Specifically, is China's increasing public
advanced STEM skills in mathematics and investment in universities effective at equipping
students with skills critical for its push to build an
innovative economy and escape the middle income trap?
Levels and gains over four years of college with benchmarks Levels and gains after two years of college
from the U.S. (in standard deviation units). across three countries (in standard deviation units).
SOSUOTUHTCHHCINHAINBAUBSUINSEINSESSJSOJUORUNRANLAL2424
