Exam Culture and Formative Assessment in China: The Gaokao Reform and Its Sociocultural Hindrance

Abstract

When high-stakes examinations are utilised to sort students into different tracks, and determine who is eligible to pursue higher education, teachers typically respond by ensuring incentivised success with the policy hand they are dealt with, that is, by ensuring that the students are incentivised to succeed. Formative assessments provide an opportunity to identify areas where students need additional support and adjust instruction accordingly. They also allow students to develop and demonstrate the skills required to succeed in higher education. Reform efforts are primarily commendable. However, these are merely preliminary steps towards achieving authentic holistic assessment forms. This article reviews the literature on formative assessment in China and the gaokao reform policies, intending to add sociocultural factors to discussions relating to the implementation barriers and gaps. This article seeks to provide insights into formative assessment practices in the Chinese educational context and contribute to the international literature on learning-oriented assessment. The article argues that the 'top-down' system is ineffective in shifting the exam culture and result-oriented mindset and understanding the role of feedback and formative assessment more deeply. Much effort should be made to assist teachers-in-service in developing assessment literacy and grant teachers’ greater autonomy to transform teacher-centred pedagogy into a student-centred one.