[MW]

Dear Colleagues:



Who amongst those who have chosen to teach at the University level in Shanghai, China have not experienced at least one of the following phenomenon?

• Boys congregate in the back of the classroom, as far from the teacher as possible.

never ___ seldom ___ frequent ___ always ____

• Boys who sit in the back of the classroom are not attentive.

never ___ seldom ___ frequent ___ always ____

• Boys who sit in the back of the classroom play computer games on their mobile phone.

never ___ seldom ___ frequent ___ always ____

• Boys who sit in the back of the classroom read books unrelated to the course.

never ___ seldom ___ frequent ___ always ____

• Boys who sit in the back of the classroom have, at a minimum, bloodshot red eyes or go so far as to actually put their head on the desk, close their eyes and go to sleep.

never ___ seldom ___ frequent ___ always ____

• Boys who sit in the back of the classroom fail to participate in the discussion.

never ___ seldom ___ frequent ___ always ____

• Boys who sit in the back of the classroom have a higher number of absences.

never ___ seldom ___ frequent ___ always ____

• Boys who sit in the back of the classroom show up for the course review lecture and the final exam.

never ___ seldom ___ frequent ___ always ____

• Boys who sit in the back of the classroom usually receive lower final grades.

never ___ seldom ___ frequent ___ always ____

• Boys are generally less motivated then girls.

Agree ____ Disagree ____

• Girls outnumber boys by about 8 to 2.

True ____ False ____







Having observed these phenomenon in numerous Shanghai Universities, a survey was conducted of 350 non-English majors (Physical Education, Sports Management, Chemistry, Public Administration, Civil Engineering and History) enrolled in an English conversation class at a major South Shanghai University (See Appendix A for representative responses) and 130 Business majors enrolled in a major North Shanghai University. (See Appendix B for representative responses) All of the students surveyed were in the last year of their current undergraduate program and were close to graduating.



The students were asked the following question:



Using no more than one paragraph, please tell me why girls attend class more regularly than the boys; why the girls seem more motivated than the boys; why the girls come to class prepared while the boys do not; and why the girls participate in the class more than the boys.



The students’ responses fell into clearly discernable categories.

The responses from the males at both the North and South Shanghai universities fell into six categories:

• Categorical denials that the situation occurs; or occurs as a misperception at the North Shanghai university arising from the high ratio of girls to boys in each class.
• Shifting blame to the females as being equally unmotivated.
• Acknowledgement that boys have too many extra-curricular activities such as playing sports, playing computer games, job interviews, and a perception that the course material has no direct benefit.
• Girls are just better at 2nd language acquisition
• Blame the teacher.
• Claim females are showing off for male teacher.

The responses from the females at both the North and South Shanghai universities fell into eight categories:

• University age females are more mature than the males.
• University age females have a greater appreciation for the value of an education.
• Traditionally, Chinese women are more attuned to following instructions and performing well.
• Chinese women are more concerned with losing face than the males.
• The males have more activities such as sports and playing CP games.
• The males are lazy.
• Women care about their grades while men just care about passing due to a prejudice in employment that favors males.
• The males think they are so clever they can listen to the course summary and pass the final exam.

It does not matter if we teachers agree or disagree with the students’ opinions, or whether the students are in fact right or wrong. What is important is that we understand our students’ thinking and beliefs and deal with our students’ realities.



Our concern should be to know why certain of our students are chronic underachievers so that we can devise appropriate strategies to motivate them to achieve according to their potential, so that when they graduate they may make an appropriate contribution to China’s better off society. Why should we be concerned? As you read the students’ answers, please consider that they are about to graduate and even the motivated students’ English is so very poor. What chance do the unmotivated students’ have when they graduate? The answer may appear in a recent China Daily article (See Appendix D.)



What type of motivation will work on the male Chinese university student?

One method, of final resort, is chronicled in Appendix C along with some of the students’ written responses.



Your written responses to the above questionnaire and your suggestions for motivating the unmotivated will be appreciated and attributable, if you wish, in a forthcoming journal article.



Warm regards,



Martin Wolff

November 20, 2004