Chapter 10: The Nature of Competition: The Views of Students from Three Regions of the People’s Republic of China

Students from China are now enrolling in schools and universities across the world but little is known about affective aspects of the learning environment they had experienced in Chinese educational institutions. In this chapter research is described where over 500 15–17 year olds from three regions of China were asked to explain their views of the nature of competition, the extent to which they were encouraged to compete in and out of school, and their feelings about such competition. Content analysis of their responses showed that they experienced a very competitive learning environment but often saw this as a positive feature which could lead to the improvement of themselves and others. Such views contrasted with those typically expressed by Western students and educators which provide a negative view of competition which is often seen as a destructive, individualistic pursuit. Implications of the Chinese student views for educators in Hong Kong, Asia, and Western countries are considered.