Swotting,Drifting or Quitting:The Learning Practices of Rural Students at County-Seat High Schools against the Backdrop of Gaokao Reform
In recent years,the academic progression of county high schools primarily serving rural students has not been promising.Many studies attribute this situation to the phenomenon of"super schools"siphoning off top students and talented teachers from county schools.However,few have paid attention to the everyday learning activities of rural high school students within the context of the Gaokao reforms.Utilizing Bourdieu's theory of practice,this paper analyzes the conventional learning practices of rural students at a county high school in Henan Province:diligent studying,idling,or giving up.Due to a lack of cultural resources at home and rigid teaching methods at school,intense studying has become the default strategy for rural students striving for higher educational opportunities.Nevertheless,as the Gaokao reforms increasingly emphasize practical application of knowledge,the rural students'rote learning strategies have become ineffective,leaving them struggling to stand out in the competitive examination.When students acutely realize the limited benefits of their arduous studying,they may resort to idling away their time or giving up the pursuit altogether.This paper highlights that reversing the unfavorable progression circumstances of county high schools relies on altering the way rural students approach their studies,with a critical change in the rigid teaching methods of schools being imperative.
collapse of county-seat high schoolsGaokao reformsrural studentshabituscultural capital
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