中国优秀科研苗子为何难修正果之解读

Why Smart Chinese Students Did not Grow into Outstanding Scientists?A Preliminary Explanation

“中国优秀科研苗子为何难修正果”是近年来难得之优秀命题。这一命题的产生,既有深刻的教育学原因,又有复杂的社会学原因。由于影响因素甚多、相互交叉且变量难于抽取,至今原因不明、政策乏力、实践盲目。通过聚焦命题,提炼出为何高考没能筛选出创造力最强的学生、为何中国顶尖高校没能培养出世界顶尖学者、为何优秀科研苗子没能坚持做科研三个主题。在研究团队已有研究积累的基础上,挖掘上述现象产生的原因:高考命题只有习题而无问题,科学教育重视知识而忽视方法,学生学习追求功利而缺乏情怀。建议高考命题从“情境习题”向“原始问题”转变,科学教育从“知识中心”向“方法中心”转变,学生学习从“纯粹功利”向“奉献祭坛”转变。

As we all know,many smart Chinese students did not grow into outstanding scientists,like Nobel laureates.But why?A range of social and educational factors are at play behind this phenomenon.In fact,we can break down the issue under scrutiny into three sub-questions,namely,1)why Gaokao(or China’s national college entrance examination)failed to screen and select the most creative students?2)why China’s top universities failed to produce internationally renowned scientists?3)why smart Chinese students often gave up halfway in their pursuit of academic excellence?Based on a preliminary research done by our team on the issue,we identify three causes:1)Gaokao tests the ability to answer exam questions rather than solve real problems;2)our science education focuses on imparting scientific knowledge rather than teaching research methods;3)most Chinese students are driven by utilitarian or extrinsic motivation rather than intrinsic one.To remedy these problems,it is suggested that 1)Gaokao need to be reformed to better reflect how students use knowledge to solve typical problems in the real world;2)our science education should shift from being knowledge-centered to methodology-focused;3)teachers should try to foster intrinsic motivation and drive within their students.