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Article
Publication date: 20 September 2011

Tongwei Xie

This article aims to analyze inter‐provincial disparities of rural education and the convergence rate, and to discuss the effects of compulsory education reform after 2001.

Abstract

Purpose

This article aims to analyze inter‐provincial disparities of rural education and the convergence rate, and to discuss the effects of compulsory education reform after 2001.

Design/methodology/approach

The article estimates the rural average education years and education Gini coefficients of China's 31 provinces (municipalities) beside Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan from 2001 to 2008, and applies the method of “economic convergence”.

Findings

The results show that after the reform of rural compulsory education, inter‐provincial rural education disparities and educational equality have been significantly improved and trend to convergence; nevertheless the convergence rate on inter‐provincial disparities of education equality declines. The defects of the education input system – “county as principle” – has been a factor that restricts the coordinated development of rural education.

Practical limitations

This paper suggests that it is necessary for China's provincial and central government to afford the expense of compulsory education. China's present investment system would also worsen inter‐provincial inequities of education.

Social implications

Education equality is one of the basic social priorities. In China education equality has been improved; however it could be better if China's provincial and central government afforded the expenses of compulsory education.

Originality/value

This paper applies the method of “economic convergence” to analyze China's rural education disparities among its regions.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 25 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 February 2024

Pooja Darda, Om Jee Gupta and Susheel Yadav

Alexa’s integration in rural primary schools has improved the pedagogy and has created an engaging and objective learning environment. This study investigates the integration…

Abstract

Purpose

Alexa’s integration in rural primary schools has improved the pedagogy and has created an engaging and objective learning environment. This study investigates the integration, with a specific focus on exploring its various aspects. The impact of Alexa’s on students' English vocabulary, comprehension and public speaking are examined. This study aims to provide insights the teachers and highlight the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in rural education.

Design/methodology/approach

This content analysis study explores the use of Alexa in primary education in rural areas of India. The study focuses on the types of the questions asked by the students and examines the pedagogical implications of these interactions. By analyzing the use of Alexa in rural educational settings, this study aims to contribute to our understanding of how voice assistants are utilized as educational tools in underprivileged areas.

Findings

Alexa significantly improved students' English vocabulary, comprehension and public speaking confidence. Alexa increased school enrollment and retention. Virtual voice assistants like Alexa may improve pedagogy and help India’s rural education. This study shows AI improves rural education.

Research limitations/implications

The study only covers rural India. Self-reported data and observations may bias the study. The small sample size may underrepresent rural educational institutions in India.

Originality/value

Alexa is used to study rural India’s primary education. Voice assistants in rural education are understudied. The study examines Alexa’s classroom use, student questions, and policy and teacher education implications. AI’s education transformation potential addresses UNESCO’s teacher shortage. This novel study examines how AI can improve rural education outcomes and access.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 38 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 May 2013

Nigel Poole, Fernando Álvarez, Nora Penagos and Roberto Vázquez

The purpose of this paper is to argue for appropriate formal education for rural young people in order to sustain and enhance viable rural communities.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to argue for appropriate formal education for rural young people in order to sustain and enhance viable rural communities.

Design/methodology/approach

In reviewing the literature, it bridges the gap between thinking on education and development respectively, and links schooling with the concepts of livelihoods, human and social capital and life‐skills. By way of example, it summarises an empirical study of the content and delivery of tele‐education among indigenous communities in Chiapas, Mexico.

Findings

Developing and emerging economies and regions should prioritise effective and efficient rural education which incorporates practical and technical skills appropriate to the rural context in order to include young people in the agricultural development and agribusiness of rural areas. This means delivery of education that is rural, local and particular to the context, with appropriate technology, pedagogy and curriculum.

Research limitations/implications

The concepts and argument are of wide significance. The case study findings should not be readily generalised but the implications will relevant to many remote and marginalised communities where the rural economy is weak, opportunities are few and education resources are scarce.

Originality/value

The paper links different literatures and, by also drawing on empirical evidence consistent with the literature, makes a case for a significant reorientation of rural education towards appropriate life‐skills in order to create viable rural livelihoods.

Details

Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, vol. 3 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-0839

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 June 2019

Eric Moffa

Due to the complexities of place and the limited knowledge of citizenship education in rural contexts, the purpose of this paper is to examine civics teachers’ perceptions of…

Abstract

Purpose

Due to the complexities of place and the limited knowledge of citizenship education in rural contexts, the purpose of this paper is to examine civics teachers’ perceptions of place in rural schools and its influence on their decision making about the curriculum.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative case study design was utilized. Four 12th grade civics teachers were sampled across three rural schools in a southern state. Data came from interviews, classroom observations and teaching artifacts. A constant comparison method of data analysis led to the emergence of a major theme: the paradoxical treatment of place in civic education in rural schools.

Findings

Participants implemented place-based pedagogies while simultaneously promoting the narrative that students leave their home communities after graduation due to limited post-secondary opportunities (i.e. place-based learning for future (dis)placements). Participants reconciled leaving narratives and the displaced futures of students by emphasizing “the basics” devoid of place.

Originality/value

The paradoxical treatment of place, as influenced by teachers’ perceptions and civic sensibilities, contrasted with theoretical perspectives on place-based education that emphasize inhabiting and attending to place. Findings suggest the need to prepare rural civics teachers for place-conscious civic pedagogies to challenge paradoxical treatments of place and engender democratic investments in rural communities.

Details

Social Studies Research and Practice, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1933-5415

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 14 September 2022

Suyu Liu

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between gender disparities in rural education attainments and agricultural landownership (ALO) in Sub-Sahara Africa with…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between gender disparities in rural education attainments and agricultural landownership (ALO) in Sub-Sahara Africa with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses SDG indicators interactions and pairwise correlation analysis.

Findings

There is a significant negative association between gender disparities in rural education attainments and ALO in Sub-Sahara Africa. Such negative relationship is not influenced by national economic development and living standards.

Research limitations/implications

The data is limited with 16 Sub-Sahara African countries, and as this is an early output of a number of follow-up studies in the author’s plan, the methodology is relatively simple.

Practical implications

Reducing gender disparity in rural Sub-Sahara Africa especially in ALO requires more integrated approaches which also address other aspects of sustainable development. This is particularly the situation because of the strong male-favored customary practices in rural Sub-Sahara Africa. The prioritization of different dimensions of sustainable development is also important in Sub-Sahara Africa.

Social implications

Strong awareness of SDGs is important. Further efforts in collecting data for and use data of sustainable development, especially the SDGs, are essential. Emerging trend of studying the interactions across SDGs reflects the future direction of relevant fields.

Originality/value

This paper has high originality because it is an early-stage research in the SDG interactions in Sub-Sahara African countries with the perspective of gender, gender disparity, Sub-Sahara Africa, SDGs, ALO and rural education attainments. This paper has both academic and practical values because of its innovative research thoughts and policy-oriented implications.

Details

RAUSP Management Journal, vol. 57 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2531-0488

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 May 2010

Xiaofei Li, Chengfang Liu, Renfu Luo, Linxiu Zhang and Scott Rozelle

The paper aims to discuss whether the younger generation of China's rural labor force is prepared, in terms of education level or labor quality, for the future labor markets under…

1583

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to discuss whether the younger generation of China's rural labor force is prepared, in terms of education level or labor quality, for the future labor markets under China's industrial upgrading.

Design/methodology/approach

Using nationally representative survey data, the paper gives detailed discussions on the young rural laborers' education attainments, and their off‐farm employment status including job patterns, working hours, and hourly wage rates. The relationship between education and employment status is analyzed and tested. Through these discussions, an employment challenge is revealed, and some policy implications are made.

Findings

This paper finds that China's young rural laborers are generally poorly educated and mainly unskilled. They work long hours and are low paid. While they lack the labor quality that will be required to meet the industrial upgrading, an employment challenge may face them in the near future. This paper also finds a strong link between education levels and employment status for the young labor force, which implies the possible effect of policies such as improving rural education.

Originality/value

Based on a solid foundation of a national rural household survey, this paper updates the understanding of the education and employment situations of the young rural labor force in contemporary China. The concern about the employment challenges raised in the paper is related to the future of China's rural labor transition and the whole economy.

Details

China Agricultural Economic Review, vol. 2 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-137X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2012

Wen Wang and Zhirong Jerry Zhao

In recent decades, the responsibility for the financing of compulsory education in rural China has rested with townships and villages which, with limited tax authority and uneven…

Abstract

In recent decades, the responsibility for the financing of compulsory education in rural China has rested with townships and villages which, with limited tax authority and uneven revenue capacity, increasingly relied on a plethora of arbitrarily imposed fees for funding. To reduce farmers’ fiscal burdens, in 2000, the central government installed a series of rural taxation reforms. Correspondingly, the central government shifted the administrative responsibilities of rural compulsory education to the county level in 2001, and implemented a series of policies to make up for the loss of revenues to education. Using a provincial-level dataset from 1998 to 2006, we examined whether and how the rural taxation reforms affected the adequacy and equity of compulsory education finance in China, addressing related theoretical and policy implications from the perspective of intergovernmental fiscal relations.

Details

Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, vol. 24 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1096-3367

Article
Publication date: 14 October 2011

R. John Halsey

The purpose of this paper is to trace the establishment of area schools from two vantage points. The first vantage point is those who were legislatively responsible for public…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to trace the establishment of area schools from two vantage points. The first vantage point is those who were legislatively responsible for public education in South Australia from the mid 1930s through to the end of World War 2. The second is the local community, with references to Karoonda (and districts) in particular.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper locates the evolution of area schools in the comprehensive public secondary schooling movement and the practice of borrowing policy initiatives from overseas and other education jurisdictions. Primary source documents have been used extensively throughout the article.

Findings

Initial resistance to the closure of small schools to form area schools was overcome by the provision of free bus transport, and the wider availability of secondary education, locally. Originally intended to provide instruction to students who would remain for most of their lives in rural communities, within ten years of opening, area schools became the means of mobility for many.

Social implications

The continuing exodus of youth from rural areas in search of “greener pastures” has become one of the main issues confronting rural communities as they search for ways to maintain viability in a competitive, market driven economy.

Originality/value

The paper is a rigorously documented historical contribution towards debate and discussion about how governments, and others, may ensure access to secondary education in rural areas in light of demographic and economic factors.

Details

History of Education Review, vol. 40 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0819-8691

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 July 2018

Weidong Wang, Yongqing Dong, Renfu Luo, Yunli Bai and Linxiu Zhang

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of education in the labor market and to understand how returns to education change over time in rural China.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of education in the labor market and to understand how returns to education change over time in rural China.

Design/methodology/approach

Using nationally representative survey data from 2004 to 2015, this study provides insights on wage determination in the labor market and examines how the returns to education in rural China differ with time and educational endowment. This study applies ordinary least squares estimation and the Heckman selection model to estimate the returns to education.

Findings

The returns to education decreased during the observed years from more than 6 percent in 2004 to only about 3 percent in 2011, rising to nearly 4 percent in 2015. The overall trend is robust and observed within groups defined by education. Additionally, the returns to education vary greatly with educational endowment. Tertiary education has always maintained a high rate of returns at nearly 10 percent, while returns to senior high school education and below have gradually diminished.

Originality/value

The authors believe that the results will not only enrich studies on the returns to education in rural China, but also provide a basis for diagnosing the changes of rural labor market in the early twenty-first century.

Details

China Agricultural Economic Review, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-137X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 February 2015

Jiang Luan, Jian-cheng Chen, Zhong-wei He, Qiang Li and Huanguang Qiu

Education plays an important role in improving Chinese rural laborers’ non-farm incomes. However, in Chinese western rural area, the level of return to education is very low due…

Abstract

Purpose

Education plays an important role in improving Chinese rural laborers’ non-farm incomes. However, in Chinese western rural area, the level of return to education is very low due to the underdeveloped economy and the condition of the education system. For improving the schooling returns level, Chinese central government is paying great attention to the condition of education in the rural western area. To date, no research has examined what educational style is more favorable for improving western rural laborers’ non-farm incomes. To answer this question, the purpose of this paper is to compare the treatment effect of high school education and secondary vocational education on their non-farm incomes. That will provide significant evidence for the government to carry out educational policy.

Design/methodology/approach

Base on the Mincer model, several methods is used to estimate the average return to a year education on western rural labors’ non-farm income, including OLS, IV and Heckman tow-steps method, to accounting for the ability endogenous and self-selection bias. And the propensity score matching method is used in estimate the treatment effects of high school education and secondary vocational education.

Findings

The results from Mincer model showed that the schooling returns in Chinese western rural area were estimated to range from 2.7 to 3.9 percent, that were lower than the average levels in Chinese whole rural area that are estimated in the other recent studies. By using propensity score matching to roll out the heterogeneous bias, show that the treatment effect from high school education was higher than that from secondary vocational education, indicating that the secondary vocational education is better.

Originality/value

Studies concerning the causal relationship between schooling (high school education and secondary vocational education) and non-farm earnings in the western region of China remain very limited, even empty. This paper will make an update contribution to the literature in the area of education earnings in China.

Details

China Agricultural Economic Review, vol. 7 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-137X

Keywords

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