Discursive Construction Of "Xue Ba":A Critical Narrative Inquiry On Learner Identity

Discourse and society are intertwined.The term “Xue Ba” underwent a notable discursive change from its original meaning of a bully who is a “Xiu Cai”(a scholar who passed the county-level selection in The Imperial Examination System)during Ming and Qing Dynasty to a scholar in academia in modern society.Since the successful stories of Tsinghua “Xue Ba” went viral in 2012,this term has gained rapid popularity on the Internet communication bearing the meaning of a hardworking learner with excellent academic performance.Unlike the majority of a-flash-in-the-pan buzzwords,“Xue Ba” makes its way from the Internet to everyday talk,which demonstrates particular social values.Rather than emphasizing the value of critical thinking,argumentation,and communicative capabilities,Chinese education attaches more emphasis on examination marks based on standardized tests.I set out to explore the everyday use of the discourse of “Xue Ba”,reflecting on the learner identity in current exam-oriented education in China.Thus I would like to explore the following questions:(1)What are the key discursive features of “Xue Ba”narratives and what kind of learner identities are constructed?(2)How do the postgraduate students’ identities develop in their narratives? How do educational assessment and expectations of “Xue Ba” affect their learner identity construction?In this research I adopt autoethnographic writing and life history interview to collect 57 postgraduate students’ narratives and analyze the keywords,descriptions,and conceptual metaphors.I further my inquiry into the “Xue Ba” narratives of Chen Hao and Liu Jing(both pseudonyms),transcribing and setting their stories in a three-dimensional framework of temporality,sociality,and place.I also explore the impact of educational assessment and expectations on the construction of “Xue Ba”identities.It is found that the term “Xue Ba” is commonly constructed as a model learner who works hard and achieves good grades in examinations.Academic achievement is viewed as the core of “Xue Ba” identity.The analysis of the narratives reveals three metaphorical categories: label,winner,and superior that reflect cognitive stereotyping,fierce competitive relations,and hierarchical power relations among peers respectively.In the two cases explored,I infer that(1)examinations profoundly affect the development of their learner identity.The learners’ identities were constructed through adaptation,compliance,negotiation,resistance,and struggle.(2)Significant summative assessments,such as “Gao Kao”(the national college entrance examination)and “Bao Yan”(postgraduate recommendation),reinforce and even honor “Xue Ba” identity.“Shang An”(going ashore)discourse reflects the prevailing educational practice of valuing summative assessments in China.(3)The tension between behavioral and academic expectations demonstrates the existence of gender stereotypes of “Xue Ba” girls in educational assessment and higher demands placed on female learners.