Our team has been carrying out
our research programme for almost one month. In fact, this is my first time to
do something meaningful to investigate into practical issues.
We’ve finished our data
collection and are to write findings recently. Due to the limitation of our
survey targets (local students and seniors), it is a little more difficult for
us to distribute our questionnaires than those who do research within SM3
groups: our questionnaires cannot go around themselves in e-form on Internet;
Distinguishing our target potential respondents in campus is a headache
sometimes. Anyway, it took some time for us to finish the data collection. To
our surprise, the data indicate something different from the hearsays got from
our seniors. Although it is just the outset of the analysis, I am really
enjoying the progress of discovering the unknown.
In China, we seldom had the
chance to do research. Even though there were some research programmes of
sorts, I would not take it seriously since it was not what teachers really hope
me to focus on. So I did not have the sense to probe personally. I learnt by
listening, reading and reflecting in theoretical level to doubt. Or I doubted
but unable or unwilling to test my hypothesis. As a result, I was always
solving the problem having been solved by others before. Maybe it helped me
develop the capacities to deal with traditional problems faster. However, study
gradually becomes a tedious job and need my great perseverance to overcome the
reluctance to study. What’s more, when it came to a new problem, the skills I’d
learnt before did not work at all. I believe this is part of reasons why
Chinese are good at coping with exams and always get amazing grades in
international competitions, but seldom could I hear scientific breakthroughs
made by Chinese.
This research project is a new
expedition of us to try another learning style. Thus the project is worthy of
our effort and devotion. No pains no gains. Let’s go on our project.
Yes, in some sense, I do enjoy the process of research. It indeed exposes me to some areas that I have never set foot in, such as how to produce a methodology. but I am afraid I can't say the skills I learnt before (in China)did not help me at all. It may not just make us solve the problems faster; it perhaps have a positive influence in our ways of thinking, but we not conscious of it. When I solved the math problem in the past, I sometimes can attain some inspiration about psychology. And this provides me with a deeper understanding of life.
ReplyDeleteBesides, there are still some groundbreaking innovations by Chinese. It is not appropriate to say 'seldom could I hear scientific breakthroughs made by Chinese'. Yes, there are many problems in need of resolving in China. But to get this cause done, it also requires our contrbution. If we lose confidence in our own country, who can our nation rely on? And in the future, it also depends on us to show the world that Chinese can make endless breadthrough in science!
I do not mean what we leant is useless. I mean we are not encourage to discover something new. I are always accept or repeat what others have worked out.
DeleteSadly, scientific research has a long way to go in China, specially in terms of chemistry and biology. The really breakthrough means the finding changing the world. I am sure that no such contribution made by Chinese, at least in main land Chinese.
you remind me of something my physical teacher in senior high school told us. Chinese students are really good at studying. that is why the owners of gold medals in Olympic Contests. However, nobel prizes were all taken away by foreign students. From where i stand, a large number of students is the main barrier of Chinese education. Fortunately, Chinese education is on the way to seek new methods of nurturing students, although the process may be long.
ReplyDeleteYes, most times competition is different from research. It is time for Chinese education system to change. But generally speaking, Chinese system is not too bad compared with some other regions.
DeleteTotally agree with you! You know how excited I was to hear that we could have the opportunity to carry out research with my fellows!
ReplyDeleteI have longed for a research like this! Limited and seemingly trivial it is, it rendered me an amazing feeling as if I was a little scientist/socialist! And with this kind of fundamental practice, we would come across less difficulties when we do more complicated researches in future!
I really love "research", such kind of things. The stereotype that sitting in classroom and learning what others discovered could never be more heartening than implementing something by ourselves!
Yes, I love the feeling either. And some findings really go beyond our imagination. This is sort of basic research. From university onward, we will meet more complicated problems. I am looking forward to them！
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