Adapting to Change: Examining Learning Adaptability in STEM Under China's New College Entrance Examination Reform

Xiangyi Shi ^*

• Tongji University, Shanghai, China

Over ten years of the New College Entrance Examination Reform, the flexible subject selection model has posed challenges to talent training. Especially for STEM majors with high course difficulty and high subject foundation requirements, some STEM students possess a broad foundational knowledge but may experience academic challenges and discomfort in adapting to college-level coursework, resulting in frequent major changes and high failure rates, resulting in frequent major changes and high failure rates. Therefore, it is crucial to discover and solve the learning adaptability problems of STEM college students for the development of higher education. This study reconstructs the measurement dimensions of learning adaptability for STEM students in combination with the training objectives of STEM majors in Chinese universities, and analyzes different adaptability types and group characteristics. Findings indicate that university students in STEM majors can be divided into three different learning adaptability groups: ability-oriented, environment-adaptive, and interest-driven. The ability-oriented type is mainly characterized by high learning motivation and learning ability, but average professional interest and learning attitude; the environment-adaptive type is mainly characterized by relatively balanced scores in all dimensions of learning adaptability, but all need to be improved; the interest-driven type is mainly characterized by high learning attitude and professional interest, but average learning ability and learning motivation. Finally, this study analyzes the relationship between learning adaptability and academic performance (GPA), as well as the influence of economic regions ADAPTABILITY OF STEM STUDENTS on learning adaptability. The results indicate that higher learning adaptability is positively correlated with better academic performance, particularly for ability-oriented students, who demonstrate significantly higher GPAs compared to students with other adaptability types.Moreover, the study reveals regional differences, with students from more economically developed regions exhibiting superior learning adaptability and better academic outcomes.