Higher Academic Performance, Lower Level of Ethical Responsibility? Analysis of Ethical Responsibility Among Top-Notch Students in Shanghai of China

Purpose Education on the ethics of responsibility is paramount. However, in educational practice, students who perform well academically—often referred to as “top-notch students”—frequently exhibit low levels of ethical responsibility. To explore the validity of this claim, we conducted a survey at a junior high school in Shanghai with a reputation for nurturing top-notch students. Design/Approach/Methods Using the Student Ethics of Responsibility Scale, we compared the levels of ethical responsibility exhibited by top-notch and ordinary students and explored their influencing factors. Findings First, results show that top-notch students outperformed ordinary students across all dimensions of ethical responsibility, particularly in terms of responsibility for the future, collective responsibility, and social responsibility. Second, major influencing factors affecting top-notch students’ levels of collective responsibility and social responsibility were their responsibility for others, their individual responsibility, the levels of collective and social responsibility exhibited by their peers, and parents’ expectations for their children's comprehensive quality. Third, the primary factors influencing students’ responsibility for the future were responsibility for others, individual responsibility, self-education expectation, and their peers’ responsibility for the future. Fourth, gender, grade, and parents’ years of education had minimal impact on the ethical responsibility of top-notch students. Originality/Value The findings of this study refute the stereotype that students who perform better academically have a weaker sense of responsibility.