Relating student performance: Research into science learning and learners in Asian Chinese communities

The consistent excellent performance of Asian Chinese students in science has been reported in large-scale international comparisons such as TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) and PISA (Program for International Student Assessment), which has generated increasing interest among local and global scholars regarding science education in Asian Chinese Communities. However, there exists a contradiction between excellent performance of Asian Chinese students in science and Western traditional perceptions of Chinese learners as passive and rote learners. This paper aims to provide a review of the updated development of the research into science learning and learners in Asian Chinese Communities with an attempt to link findings from research. A total of 25 empirical quantitative studies, whose sample sizes range from 132 to 8,815 and publication from 1987 to 2014, are reviewed regarding three aspects of Asian Chinese school students, including their science learning strategies, attitudes towards learning science, and their scientific epistemological views. The paper concludes with suggestions on directions of future research on science learning and learners in Asian Chinese communities.