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How and why do Chinese urban students outperform their rural counterparts?

Author

Listed:
  • Zhao, Guochang
  • Ye, Jingjing
  • Li, Zhengyang
  • Xue, Sen

Abstract

This paper aims to measure and understand the rural–urban student cognitive ability gap in China. Using the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) 2013/2014 data, we find that the cognitive ability test scores of urban students are approximately 1.41 points (17%) higher than those of rural students, on average. This difference is equivalent to 37 and 41% of the standard deviation of urban and rural students' test scores, respectively. Instead of the raw test score, when the cognitive ability is estimated with the 3-parameter Logistic item response theory model, the rural–urban gap is somewhat reduced. The regression and Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition analyses show that nearly one-half of the rural–urban gap can be accounted for by differences in observed characteristics, especially number of siblings, parental education, and interaction between parents and teachers. We then discuss the policy implications of these results and propose a few potential ways to reduce the rural–urban gap in students' cognitive abilities.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhao, Guochang & Ye, Jingjing & Li, Zhengyang & Xue, Sen, 2017. "How and why do Chinese urban students outperform their rural counterparts?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 103-123.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:45:y:2017:i:c:p:103-123
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2017.06.006
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jere R. Behrman & C. Simon Fan & Xiangdong Wei & Hongliang Zhang & Junsen Zhang, 2020. "After-School Tutoring, Household Substitution and Student Achievement: Experimental Evidence from Rural China," PIER Working Paper Archive 20-004, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania.
    2. Huang, Bin & Zhu, Yu, 2020. "Higher Education Expansion, the Hukou System, and Returns to Education in China," IZA Discussion Papers 12954, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Zheng, Lei & Qi, Xiang & Zhang, Chongjiu, 2023. "Can improvements in teacher quality reduce the cognitive gap between urban and rural students in China?," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    4. Huang, Bin & Tani, Massimiliano & Wei, Yi & Zhu, Yu, 2022. "Returns to education in China: Evidence from the great higher education expansion," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    5. Jere R. Behrman & C. Simon Fan & Naijia Guo & Xiangdong Wei & Hongliang Zhang & Junsen Zhang, 2024. "Tutoring Efficacy, Household Substitution, And Student Achievement: Experimental Evidence From An After‐School Tutoring Program In Rural China," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 65(1), pages 149-189, February.
    6. Tong, Lijing & Wu, Bin & Zhang, Min, 2022. "Do auditors’ early-life socioeconomic opportunities improve audit quality? Evidence from China," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(2).
    7. Xu, Bin & Ma, Qingxuan & Yu, Qianbin, 2024. "Does the proportion of rural students affect the performance of urban students? ––Evidence from urban schools in China," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    8. Ruyi Lin & Juan Chu & Lizi Yang & Ligao Lou & Huiju Yu & Junfeng Yang, 2023. "What are the determinants of rural-urban divide in teachers’ digital teaching competence? Empirical evidence from a large sample," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    9. Hao Wang & Jan Fidrmuc & Qi Luo & Mingzhong Luo, 2018. "What Stayers Do? Capital Endowments and On-Farm Transitions in Rural China," CESifo Working Paper Series 7306, CESifo.
    10. Wang, Haining & Cheng, Zhiming & Smyth, Russell, 2018. "Do migrant students affect local students’ academic achievements in urban China?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 64-77.
    11. Li, Yunsen & Yang, Haoran & Luo, Liang, 2021. "Poverty exposure and cognitive abilities of children in rural China: Causation and the roles of family investments," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Rural–urban differential; Cognitive ability; Decomposition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

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