German remedial class
The continuous media coverage of extracurricular remedial classes clearly shows the "madness" of extracurricular training in China and the anxiety of parents. Although most parents don't agree with this kind of extracurricular training, they are still eager for it. Because other children are involved, their children will inevitably suffer if they don't participate, so parents have to be "crazy" with each other and get into an embarrassing situation like "prisoner's dilemma" more and more.
So, what is the situation of German primary and secondary school students participating in extracurricular tutoring? A number of data about extracurricular tutoring classes by German students and parents clearly present the current situation of extracurricular tutoring in Germany.
The survey of the least popular extracurricular tutoring in Germany shows that, as far as mathematics subjects are concerned, the proportion of students taking extracurricular tutoring in Germany (28.6%) is not only far lower than that in Japan (69.8%) and South Korea (66%), but also behind Finland (47.4%), Britain (4 1.7%) and Denmark (40.9%).
A national survey in Germany commissioned by Bertelsmann Foundation shows that14 to 20 15 school year, there are 14% primary and secondary school students (aged 6 to 16) in Germany who take part in extracurricular tutoring. Among them, the proportion of primary school students participating in extracurricular tutoring is 5%, and the proportion of middle school students is 18%. It can be seen that only a few primary and secondary school students in Germany participate in extracurricular tutoring. In addition, the survey of programme for international student assessment (PISA) in 20 12 shows that German extracurricular tutoring mainly focuses on mathematics and foreign languages. The proportion of German middle school students aged 65,438+05 who take part in extra-curricular tutoring in various subjects is: 28.6% in mathematics, 28% in foreign languages, 65,438+06% in German and 65,438+05.3% in natural sciences.
From the international comparison, the proportion of German 15-year-old middle school students participating in extracurricular tutoring is far lower than the average level of OECD countries (37.9%). As far as mathematics subjects are concerned, the proportion of Germany (28.6%) is not only far lower than that of Japan (69.8%) and South Korea (66%), but also behind Finland (47.4%), Britain (4 1.7%), Denmark (40.9%) and Sweden (39.6%). Among the developed countries, Germany is one of the least popular countries for extra-curricular tutoring, which can naturally be regarded as recognition of the quality of its school education.
According to the survey of Bertelsmann Foundation, 39% of primary and middle school students participate in extracurricular tutoring 1 hour every week, 39% participate in extracurricular tutoring1hour every week, 3 hours every week 1 1%, and 4 hours or more1%. This survey is basically consistent with the survey conducted in the programme for international student assessment in 20 12 years, that is, about 90% of German middle school students 15 years old spend less than 3 hours a week in extracurricular tutoring. Only about 65,438+00% people have participated in extracurricular tutoring for more than 3 hours.
The Bertelsmann Foundation survey also shows that 26% of the primary and secondary school students who take part in extracurricular tutoring do not need to pay. Because they mainly participate in extracurricular tutoring provided by full-time public schools or other extracurricular tutoring projects funded by the government in the afternoon. 69% parents choose self-funded extracurricular tutoring. Among them, 18% parents spend less than 50 euros a month on extracurricular tutoring, 30% parents spend 5 1 to 100 euros a month, 15% parents spend10/to/. According to the calculation of Professor Korim, the head of the survey, German parents spend an average of 87 euros on it every month. If the average monthly income of German families is 2,988 euros, the cost of extracurricular tutoring accounts for less than 3%.
Mostly to improve academic performance.
According to the survey, 34% of the students who take part in extracurricular tutoring in mathematics have "excellent", "good" or "satisfactory" academic performance.
For a long time, German students only take part in extra-curricular tutoring and tutoring when they have poor exam results, have problems with their studies, or teachers point out that students can't keep up with the teaching progress. But today, things have changed. According to the survey of Bertelsmann Foundation, 34% of the students who take part in extracurricular tutoring in mathematics have excellent, good or satisfactory academic performance. In German and foreign languages, 40% and 33% of these "upper-middle-class students" take part in extracurricular tutoring respectively.
From this point of view, most students take part in extracurricular tutoring in order to make up for their lack of learning, keep up with the teaching progress of the school, and avoid learning failure (such as repeating a grade). In addition, a small number of students take part in extracurricular tutoring in order to further improve their academic performance, so as to enter their favorite schools and improve their future employment opportunities.
In Germany, in addition to college students, retired teachers or in-service teachers, unemployed scholars or high school students, there are specialized extracurricular counseling institutions. At present, the most influential extracurricular tutoring institutions in Germany are "study circles" and "helpers for primary and secondary school students". They have more than 65,438+0,000 franchise sites in Germany, and their services also cover neighboring German-speaking countries such as Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg. In addition, there are many regional extracurricular training institutions and intermediaries all over Germany.
As far as the form of counseling is concerned, 55% of the students who participate in extracurricular counseling get one-on-one individual counseling and 44% get group counseling. There are also a few students who receive online extracurricular tutoring.
In order to reassure parents and make it easier for parents to choose, extracurricular tutoring institutions in Germany usually try to pass the certification of neutral evaluation institutions. At present, the "learning circle" and "assistant for primary and secondary school students" have passed the certification of authoritative testing institutions in Germany. For this reason, German assessment agencies have also formulated certification standards specifically for extracurricular tutoring institutions. For example, the certification standards of authoritative organizations include about 100 indicators, such as free non-binding consultation and free grading test; Homogeneous class, the class size is not more than 5 people; The tutor has been trained in specialty and teaching methods; Record students' learning progress in detail; Talk to parents regularly and provide feedback; Communicate with teachers of various subjects in public schools in order to coordinate and arrange extracurricular remedial classes more reasonably and better meet the learning needs of individual students.
The effect of remedial classes is controversial.
The survey shows that taking part in extracurricular tutoring does not promote the development of primary school students' mathematics and German ability.
In the evaluation of the effect of extracurricular tutoring, the researchers' findings are not consistent. Most studies point out that it is difficult to prove that extracurricular tutoring has a positive impact on improving students' grades. Because the effect of extracurricular tutoring is influenced by many factors, such as the type of school where students are, the level of students' ability, and the degree of receiving extracurricular tutoring. For example, Ruplov and Schneider's 20 14 experimental study on German fourth-grade pupils found that taking part in extracurricular tutoring did not promote the development of pupils' mathematics and German ability. Hosenfeld's survey also found that extracurricular tutoring had no effect on the development of students' mathematical ability from grade five to grade six. On the other hand, some researchers have found that extracurricular tutoring has a positive impact on the development of specific abilities of primary and secondary school students. For example, the experimental research of Alto and Miller shows that extracurricular tutoring has not brought significant improvement to the self-regulated learning behavior and math performance of middle school students in grades five to nine. However, in terms of motivation and emotional variables and digital ability, the number of students receiving counseling is significantly higher than that of the control group.
Although researchers have different opinions on the effect of extracurricular counseling so far, children and parents who participate in counseling have their own opinions. German parents are satisfied with the quality of extracurricular tutoring in most cases, and think that extracurricular tutoring can improve students' academic performance and enhance their enthusiasm for learning. A telephone survey of 300 clients conducted by "Learning Circle", an extracurricular tutoring organization, on 20 13 showed that 97.6% of the clients were satisfied with the quality of their extracurricular tutoring and were willing to recommend it to others. After half a year's extra-curricular tutoring, 80% of the students' grades will improve 1 point. Because Germany's score is 1 6, if so, it is not a small progress.
Then, are students' participation in extracurricular tutoring influenced by their parents' educational level and income? In this regard, the current survey results are contradictory. Some surveys have found that the higher the education level and income of parents, the more inclined they are to let their children participate in extracurricular counseling. Some studies have come to the opposite conclusion, that is, it is found that the education level of parents has no outstanding influence on whether students participate in extracurricular tutoring. According to the survey of Bertelsmann Foundation, parents with advanced, intermediate and junior diplomas have roughly the same proportion of their children participating in extracurricular tutoring; Parents' income has only a slight influence on participating in extracurricular tutoring. The proportion of children from low-income families and middle-income families participating in extracurricular tutoring is 12%, that is, there is no difference. The proportion of children from high-income families participating in extracurricular tutoring is 15%, which is slightly higher. This shows that extracurricular tutoring in Germany is not enough to affect educational equity. (The author Sun Jin is a professor at the Institute of International and Comparative Education, Beijing Normal University, with a Ph.D.. )
The author's short comment
Rational extracurricular tutoring is a useful supplement to school education.
In Germany, only a few students take part in extracurricular tutoring. Even if you take part in extracurricular tutoring, you don't spend much time every week and the cost is not high, which has not become a heavy burden for students and their parents. Most German students take part in extracurricular tutoring to make up for their lack of study or to keep up with the progress of school teaching. A few students are trying to become better, but there is no group counseling panic driven by competitive psychology. In addition, extracurricular tutoring in Germany does not threaten educational equity. Therefore, extracurricular tutoring in Germany is a rational and benign existence. Extracurricular tutoring is to balance and make up for the deficiencies in school education, and it is a useful supplement to school education. Although the effect of extracurricular tutoring is questioned by researchers, it is recognized by parents and students.
Compared with German, it seems that the purpose of extracurricular training in China is not to better promote students' physical and mental development, but to meet the needs of some parents suffering from "backward anxiety", to help them "force" their children to gain a competitive advantage by surpassing others, and to pass on their parents' anxiety and this wrong learning value to their children, and finally to fall into a vicious circle of rising competitive pressure. It is also based on this logic that these extracurricular training institutions ignore the teaching progress of regular schools and children's cognitive laws and provide advanced education through intensive training. This kind of training may bring mechanical knowledge growth in the short term, but it is difficult to promote deep learning, let alone the development of independent thinking ability and innovation ability, and may even cause long-term harm.
This kind of off-campus training is no longer a beneficial supplement to primary and secondary education, but has become a social pathological existence that aggravates students' learning burden, interferes with normal school teaching and amplifies parents' educational anxiety, which seriously violates the core concept of "student development-oriented" in China's new curriculum reform and needs to be treated urgently. Rational extracurricular tutoring is based on rational parents, rational school education and rational society.