Student Perceptions of Outcome-Based Education in Chinese Higher Education: Evidence from a Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

In recent years, higher education systems worldwide have faced increasing pressure to demonstrate the effectiveness of teaching and learning in producing employable, adaptable, and lifelong learners. Within this context, Outcome-Based Education (OBE) has been widely promoted as a means of aligning curriculum design, teaching, and assessment with clearly defined learning outcomes. However, the rapid policy-driven adoption of OBE has raised concerns that formal outcome frameworks do not necessarily translate into meaningful improvements in students’ learning experiences, particularly when implementation emphasizes compliance rather than pedagogical transformation. This highlights the need to examine not only whether OBE is implemented, but whether it is perceived by students as useful and effective. This study examines the implementation of OBE in Chinese higher education from the student perspective, addressing a gap in the literature that has largely emphasized institutional and policy dimensions. Using a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, quantitative data were collected from 525 undergraduates across diverse disciplines, complemented by qualitative interviews with 12 participants. Descriptive and inferential analyses were employed alongside thematic analysis to explore perceptions, learning outcomes, and implementation challenges. The findings indicate that students generally perceive OBE positively, particularly in terms of constructive alignment between learning outcomes, teaching activities, and assessment practices. Exposure to project-based learning, flipped classrooms, and digital learning platforms was associated with higher engagement, teamwork, and self-directed learning, whereas the development of critical thinking was perceived as less consistently emphasized. At the same time, lecture-dominated pedagogy, limited personalized support, and rigid curricula were identified as key barriers to effective OBE implementation. By foregrounding students’ lived experiences, this study provides empirical evidence on both the potential and the constraints of OBE in the Chinese context, offering practical implications for enhancing teaching practices, curricular flexibility, and outcome-oriented higher education reform.