Chinese American Educational Research and Development Association
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Educational Research & Development Journal
Summer 2026, Volume 29, Number 1
Perceived Gaokao Failure: A Grounded Theory Exploration of Immediate and Ongoing Consequences |
| Xinyu Lu, Jennifer Chang |
Abstract |
| This qualitative study explored the experiences of individuals who perceived themselves to have failed the Gaokao, China’s national university entrance examination. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 participants to examine their definition of Gaokao “failure” and its aftermath. Follow-up questionnaires were used to refine emerging concepts. Data were analyzed through iterative grounded theory processes: initial, focused, and theoretical coding. Findings indicated that perceived failure was shaped less by exam scores than by unmet expectations within a sociocultural context emphasizing academic achievement, collectivism, and loss of face. Participants described interconnected pragmatic, social, cognitive, and emotional consequences, with recovery trajectories ranging from short-term distress to prolonged psychological impact. Parental reactions and parents’ educational and occupational backgrounds shaped the intensity and duration of participants’ experiences. The culminating theoretical model conceptualizes perceived Gaokao failure as a culturally embedded process of meaning-making and adaptation. |
| Full Text: PDF |
ISSN: 1526-8659