On Education Involution:An Analysis Of The Academic Performance Of University Students In China From Its Perspective

The world today is marked by changes unseen in a century,and the competition for talent among countries is becoming increasingly acute.Throughout the entire education system,higher education,as the main social activity of training senior specialists and professionals,is an important symbol of a country’s level of development and development potential.After 74 years of difficult exploration,China’s achievements in higher education have been remarkable in the world.However,the hidden educational crisis behind this prosperity should not be underestimated.The explosive expansion of higher education has led to competition that gradually exceeds the threshold of rationality,and the trend of competition becomes more and more intense,which burdens the physical and mental development of university students.Under this circumstance,the term "involution" has emerged in the field of education,which is not only a self-contradiction of students but also a true reflection of the pressures they face.However,the lack of a unified understanding of the concept of "involution" in academic circles,coupled with the relatively late start of the theory of "involution" into the field of education,has led to the generalization and abuse of the concept during its dissemination.This is not only unfavorable to the proper promotion and study of the concept of educational involution but also inadvertently increases anxiety in society.Given the background outlined above,the study introduces the conceptual perspective of "involution" in conjunction with observations and reflections on issues in the field of education.And also,the study adopts conceptual analysis and survey research method,focusing on the conceptual tracing of "educational involution" and identify similar concepts,analyze the elements that make up this concept,leading to the creation of a conceptual framework for analyzing educational involution.Additionally,this study also applied this framework to the analysis of the university students’ academic performance,both to further validate the framework and to provide a new perspective on the analysis of university students’ academic performance.In terms of the meaning of educational involution,the study found that the negative connotations of its tend to be more prominent,and identified three key characteristics that contribute to the educational involution:internal and external closure,goal substitution,and path dependence.In other words,under the joint constraints of internal and external conditions,the field of education has formed a relatively closed system.And the value goals initially pursued by education are gradually replaced by other goals,and under the influence of utility illusion,path dependence on the old development mechanism is formed,showing a locking pattern of inward spiral entanglement,self-replication and increasing internal consumption.This repeated process has led to the spread and further entrenchment of the phenomenon of educational involution.Based on a general understanding of the concept of educational involution,the study focuses on the academic performance of students in higher education,and uses the conceptual framework of educational involution to analyse the university students’academic performance.The study finds that students’ academic performance has an involution problem,which is mainly related to the fact that society still has the possibility of mobility,but there are problems such as uneven allocation of resources and changes in the market environment,while internally,it is mainly attacked by instrumental rationality,with problems such as high family expectations and single measurement scale.Students’academic development is confined to a relatively closed system,and under the constraints of this closure,students’ academic development is gradually diverted from its original purpose,focusing on studying various test-taking techniques,pursuing useless word-count competitions and task competitions,blinded by the illusion of the utility of improved grades and temporary rewards,and falling into path dependency.The study suggests that a balance should be sought between value-based and instrumental rationality.To achieve this,there are two key recommendations.First,individuals must take the initiative to address the phenomenon of academic performance involution.Second,it is important to recognize that educational involution is a pervasive and persistent issue that is closely tied to both the educational and social systems.Thus,within the educational system,there should be a stronger focus on understanding the theoretical aspects of educational involution and on increasing efforts towards reform and development.Meanwhile,within the social system,it is crucial to promote optimal resource allocation and to encourage joint participation from various stakeholders to ensure equity and quality in education,ultimately creating a synergistic effect.The study makes several innovative contributions.Firstly,it provides a more detailed exploration of the concept of ’involution’ and its relationship to similar concepts.By examining the different views on the topic,the study seeks to define the unique meaning of’involution’.Secondly,it summarizes the multiple elements of the connotation of’educational involution’ and constructs a conceptual framework map,which helps to achieve a deeper understanding of the phenomenon and to avoid misuse and generalization of the concept.Thirdly,the conceptual framework of education involution constructed by the study was applied to analyse the problems and causes of academic performance of university students,and it was clarified that the phenomenon of involution exists in the academic performance of university students,which helps to understand more clearly and comprehensively the problems reflected in the university students’ academic performance,and provides a possible reference basis for improving the university students’ academic development.In conclusion,this study has theoretical significance in defining the concept of involution and constructing an analytical framework for the concept of educational involution.And it also has practical significance in addressing the issue of involution in students’ academic careers in Chinese universities.