Research on the Evolution of China's College Entrance Examination Policies : An Analysis Based on the Multiple Streams Framework

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The admissions and examination policies for China's regular higher education institutions are an important institutional arrangement connecting basic education and higher education. They not only undertake talent selection and educational diversion, but are also deeply embedded in key issues such as educational equity, social mobility, national development strategies, and the modernization of educational governance. The resumption of the college entrance examination in 1977 marked the beginning of a prolonged process of adjustment and restructuring in China’s general college entrance examination policy. The process of change is reflected not only in changes in exam subjects, admission methods, and evaluation standards, but also in the ongoing interaction between national governance goals, educational fairness demands, and talent cultivation models. Previous studies have mainly examined the functions of the college entrance examination system, reform effectiveness, and fairness value, but explanations are insufficient on why college entrance examination policies have changed at specific historical stages, how policy topics enter decision-making agendas, and how different policy proposals are adopted. Based on this, this paper takes the changes in Chinese college entrance examination policies as its research object, aiming to reveal their staged characteristics, mechanisms, and governance implications, and to expand the explanatory power of multi-source theory in the context of Chinese educational governance. Based on the above research objectives, this paper mainly answers three questions: First, what are the phased characteristics of changes in the policies of admissions and examinations for China's regular higher education institutions? Second, how the interaction between question flow, policy flow, and political flow has influenced changes in college entrance exam policies at different historical stages; Third, under the context of higher education governance in China, how to further improve the institutional operation and governance effectiveness of the general college entrance examination policy. To answer the above questions, this paper uses multi-source flow theory as the main analytical framework, combined with historical institutional analysis, policy text analysis, process tracking methods, and institutional analysis methods. Historical institutional analysis is used to sort out the historical context and stage divisions of college entrance examination policy changes; policy text analysis identifies changes in policy goals, tools, and institutional arrangements over different periods; process tracking analyzes the mechanisms of third-rate interaction and policy window opening in key reform events; and institutional analysis methods extract governance issues and optimization directions in the operation of college entrance examination policies. Research shows that the policy changes in China's general college entrance examination generally go through four stages: institutional restoration and order reconstruction, institutional adjustment and functional expansion, institutional stability and scale expansion, and deepening reform and multi-dimensional governance. Over the long process, the policy goals of the college entrance examination have gradually shifted from "restoration of order" to "multiple value balances," institutional operation has shifted from "single unified selection" to "classification and comprehensive evaluation," and the selection logic has shifted from "knowledge screening." "Moving toward a 'competency-literacy composite orientation,' the governance structure is shifting from highly centralized to multi-level coordination led by the central government. Mechanism analysis shows that the combination of problem flow, policy flow, and political flow differs at different stages: the institutional restoration stage mainly manifests as order reconstruction driven by problem pressures and political opportunities; The stages of institutional adjustment and scale expansion are more often reflected in gradual adjustments under institutional constraints; Since 2014, the new college entrance examination reform has shown a system integration characteristic under top-level design guidance. Overall, the policy changes of China's general college entrance examination are not linear processes driven by a single factor, but rather a complex institutional evolution within specific institutional contexts, involving problem identification, plan generation, political impulsiveness, and policy window coupling. In the future, mechanisms for problem identification and agenda setting should be further optimized, the ability to integrate policy plans strengthened, the institutional resilience of reform advancement improved, and the multi-stakeholder collaborative governance structure under central coordination should be improved to promote the general college entrance examination system to better respond to the realities of education modernization and talent cultivation transformation while maintaining fairness and justice.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• CHAPTER1. INTRODUCTION １２
• 1.1 NECESSITY AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH １２
• 1.2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS １５
• CHAPTER2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND １８
• 2.1 CORE CONCEPT DEFINITION １８
• 2.1.1 The Connotation and Institutional Attributes of the General Higher Education Admissions Examination １８
• 2.1.2 Definition of General College Entrance Examination Policy and Classification of Policy Types ２０
• 2.1.3 Relevant concepts of policy change and education policy change ２２
• 2.2 POLICY ENVIRONMENT FOR THE GENERAL COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION UNDER THE GOVERNANCE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN CHINA ２４
• 2.2.1 National Governance System and Higher Education Governance Structure ２５
• 2.2.2 The Functional Positioning of General College Entrance Examination Policies in National Development Strategy ２７
• 2.2.3 Administrative System, Policy Tools, and the Operational Mechanism of General College Entrance Examination Policies ３０
• 2.3 THEORETICAL FOUNDATION ３１
• 2.3.1 Multi-source Theory: A tool for explaining the process of changes in college entrance exam policies ３１
• 2.3.2 Historical Institutionalism: Structural Constraints and Evolutionary Trajectory of Changes in College Entrance Examination Policies ３４
• 2.3.3 Governance Context of Higher Education in China: The Institutional Embedded Foundation of Changes in College Entrance Examination Policies ３６
• 2.3.4 Comprehensive analytical framework for changes in admissions examination policies for China's regular higher education institutions ３８
• 2.4 LITERATURE REVIEW ４４
• 2.4.1 Overview of Research on the Admissions and Examination System of China's General Higher Education Institutions ４４
• 2.4.2 A Review of Research on Policy Reform and Policy Changes for the General College Entrance Examination ４７
• 2.4.3 A Review of the Application of Multi-Source Flow Theory in Public Policy Research ５０
• 2.4.4 Review of the Application of Multi-Source Theory in Chinese Education Policy Research ５２
• 2.4.5 Review of the current research status and analysis of research shortcomings . ５４
• CHAPTER3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ５８
• 3.1 RESEARCH METHODS ５８
• 3.1.1 Methods for analyzing historical institutions ５８
• 3.1.2 Policy Text Analysis Methods ６０
• 3.1.3 Process Tracking Method ６３
• 3.1.4 Institutional Analysis Methods ６７
• 3.1.5 The Integration Logic of Research Methods and the Correspondence of Research Questions ７０
• 3.2 RESEARCH SUBJECTS ７５
• 3.2.1 Research Subjects of General College Entrance Examination Policy Texts ７５
• 3.2.2 The Time Spans and Historical Periodization of Policy Changes in the General College Entrance Examination ８１
• 3.2.3 Selection of Key Reform Events in the Policy Changes of the General College Entrance Examination ８４
• 3.2.4 Key Actors and Institutional Roles in Policy Changes for the General College Entrance Examination ９０
• 3.3 RESEARCH PROCESS ９３
• 3.4 BASIC RESEARCH FRAMEWORK ９７
• CHAPTER4. THE STAGED CHARACTERISTICS OF POLICY CHANGES IN CHINA'S GENERAL COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION １００
• 4.1 CONSTRUCTION OF COMPARATIVE DIMENSIONS IN STAGE FEATURE ANALYSIS . １００
• 4.1.1 Periodic changes in policy target orientation １０４
• 4.1.2 Core Feature: Principle of Fair Priority Based on "Unity." １０７
• 4.1.3 Phased Changes in Selection Criteria and Evaluation Logic １０９
• 4.1.4. Phased changes in governance structure and power allocation １１２
• 4.2 THE BASIC LANDSCAPE OF CHANGES IN COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION POLICIES AT DIFFERENT HISTORICAL STAGES １１６
• 4.2.1 Institutional Restoration and Order Reconstruction Stage (1977–1984) １１７
• 4.2.2 Stage of Institutional Adjustment and Functional Expansion (1985-1998). １２０
• 4.2.3 Institutional Stability and Scale Expansion Stage (1999-2013). １２３
• 4.2.4 Deepening Reform and Multi-Governance Stage (2014–present). １２６
• 4.3 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF STAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF CHANGES IN COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION POLICIES １２９
• 4.3.1 Policy Goals Shift from 'Order Restoration' to 'Multiple Value Balance' １２９
• 4.3.2 Institutional Operation Moves from "Single Unified Selection" to "Classification and Comprehensive Evaluation" １３２
• 4.3.3 Selection Logic Shifts from "Knowledge Screening" to "Competency-Literacy Composite Orientation" １３５
• 4.4 CHAPTER SUMMARY １４３
• CHAPTER5. ANALYSIS OF THE MULTI-SOURCE MECHANISMS OF CHANGES IN COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION POLICIES １４９
• 5.1 STAGE ONE: MECHANISMS OF INSTITUTIONAL RESTORATION AND ORDER RECONSTRUCTION (1977-1984). １４９
• 5.1.1 Problem Flow: Broken Educational Order and Talent Selection Crises １4９
• 5.1.2 Political Flow: Correcting Chaos and Modernizing the Current Talent Needs １５１
• 5.1.3 Policy Flow: Restoring the unified college entrance examination and rebuilding of the admissions and enrollment system １５３
• 5.1.4 Summary of Causal Mechanisms and Substitution Interpretation Test: The Influence Pathways of Institutional Restoration １５５
• 5.2 SECOND STAGE: MECHANISM OF MECHANISM IN THE EARLY STAGE OF INSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENT (1985-1998) １５９
• 5.2.1 Formation of the Policy Window: Problem Accumulation and Political Opportunity １５９
• 5.2.2 Generation of Policy Schemes and Path Dependencies １６０
• 5.2.3 Actor Selection under Institutional Constraints １６２
• 5.2.4 Summary of Causal Mechanisms and Alternative Interpretation Test: The Path of Impact of Reform Initiation １６３
• 5.3 THIRD STAGE: MECHANISMS OF INSTITUTIONAL STABILITY (1999-2013) １６６
• 5.3.1 Accumulation and Dispersion of Problem Pressure １６６
• 5.3.2 Generation of Policy Proposals and Path Dependencies １６８
• 5.3.3 Actor Selection under Institutional Constraints １６９
• 5.3.4 Summary of Causal Mechanisms and Alternative Interpretation Test: The Influence Pathways of Gradual Adjustment １７１
• 5.4 FOURTH STAGE: MECHANISMS OF DEEPENING REFORM (2014–PRESENT) １７３
• 5.4.1 Centralized Opening of Policy Windows １７３
• 5.4.2 Restructuring of the Third Stream: From Dispersion to Integration １７５
• 5.4.3 The Role of Multi-Actor Game and Top-Level Design １７７
• 5.4.4 Summary of Causal Mechanisms and Substitution Interpretation Test: The Impact Path of Systematic Reform １７９
• 5.5 COMPARISON OF MECHANISMS OF DIFFERENT HISTORICAL STAGES １８２
• 5.5.1 Changes in third-rate dominance relationships １８２
• 5.5.2. Differences in the way policy windows are opened １８４
• 5.5.3 The Evolution of Doer Structure and Decision-Making Logic １８５
• 5.5.4. Stage differences in causal mechanism paths １８７
• 5.6 MULTI-SOURCE AND FLOW MECHANISMS OF CHANGES IN COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION POLICIES １８９
• 5.6.1 Summary and naming of four types of mechanisms of action １８９
• 5.6.2 The operating logic and applicable scenarios of different mechanisms １９１
• 5.6.3 Contextualized Modification of Multi-Source Flow Theory: Empirical Basis and Logical Boundaries １９４
• 5.7 CHAPTER SUMMARY １９８
• CHAPTER6. Institutional Insights from Policy Changes in China's General College Entrance Examination and the Path to Governance Optimization
• 6.1 VALUE STANDARDS AND INSTITUTIONAL OPERATION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GOVERNANCE OF COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION POLICIES ２０２
• 6.1.1 Diversification and Intrinsic Tension of Policy Objectives ２０３
• 6.1.2 The trend toward the complexity of institutional operation modes ２０４
• 6.1.3 Transformation of Selection Logic and Structural Contradictions ２０６
• 6.1.4 Multi-level Collaboration Characteristics of Governance Structures ２０７
• 6.2 PRACTICAL GOVERNANCE CHALLENGES IN THE OPERATION OF COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION POLICIES AND SYSTEMS ２０９
• 6.2.1 Policy Lagging and Passive Response Driven by Problems ２１０
• 6.2.2 Fragmentation of Reform and Path Lock-in in Gradual Adjustment ２１２
• 6.2.3 Implementation Deviations and Institutional Gaps under Top-Level Design . ２１５
• 6.2.4 Insufficient Coordination and Ambiguous Responsibilities in Multi-Stakeholder Governance ２１７
• 6.3 Pathways to Improve the Operation and Governance Effectiveness of College Entrance Examination Policies and Systems ２２０
• 6.3.1 Optimize Problem Identification and Agenda Setting Mechanisms ２２０
• 6.3.2 Strengthen policy integration capabilities and plan supply mechanisms ２２２
• 6.3.3 Enhance the institutional resilience of policy coupling and reform advancement ２２４
• 6.3.4 Promote multi-stakeholder collaborative governance and optimization of the structure of rights and responsibilities ２２５
• 6.4 Mechanism Model for Optimizing College Entrance Examination Policy Governance ２２７
• 6.5 CHAPTER SUMMARY ２２９
• CHAPTER7. CONCLUSIONS AND OUTLOOK ２３２
• 7.1 RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS ２３２
• 7.2 THEORETICAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND PRACTICAL INSIGHTS ２３４
• 7.3 RESEARCH SHORTCOMINGS AND FUTURE OUTLOOK ２３６
• REFERENCES ２３９