Volume 1 (2010) - Issue 2 (Apr 2010)

New Curriculum Reform and its Impact on the National University Entrance Examination System in China—an Example in Physics

Yibing Zhang ¹ , Xiang Gao ² , Cheng Wang ²

¹ School of Physics and Electrical Information, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China
² Ningxia Tianjiabing Senior High School, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China
^*Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 2010-1-3 / Accepted: 2010-4-30 / Published: 2010-4-30

PDF Main Manuscript (225.75 KB)

Abstract China is experiencing its eighth basic education curriculum reform, and the “curriculum standard” is a symbol of this innovation. One feature of the curriculum standard is to challenge the previous model of unified courses. Students can now select some elective courses to pursue their own learning interests. Along with this innovation, the National University Entrance Examination (NUEE) programs have been appropriately adjusted, so that experimental areas implementing the new curriculum standard may develop NUEE schemes based on local conditions and can also develop their own examination questions. This paper focuses on the implementation of the curriculum standard in physics. We examine the features of the physics NUEE programs among 11 curriculum reform areas in 2009 and analyze the impacts of physics curriculum reform to the physics entrance examination system.

Research Areas: Concepts & principles