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Does learning longer improve student achievement? Evidence from online education of graduating students in a high school during COVID-19 period

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  • Zhang, Yue
  • Zhao, Guochang
  • Zhou, Bo

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of online learning time on graduating students' test scores in a senior high school. Decisions regarding online education, including those related to participation and learning hours, are endogenous due to both reverse causality and omitted variables. This paper is the result of the natural experiment of the outbreak of COVID-19, which made every student to participate in online education when the spring semester began. In addition, this paper uses a value-added model controlling for the scores that preceded online education, which is a sufficient statistic of students' unobserved ability and motivation. If this cannot completely eliminate the endogeneity problem, it should be able to largely alleviate the problem. The results indicate that: online education has positive but limited impacts on test scores on average, particularly those in the subject of math within the natural sciences track; top-tier students are most positively affected by online education; and the benefits of online education vary among students with different backgrounds. The quantile regression suggests that a 10% increase in online education time raises math test scores by more than 0.25 for the students between the 0.60th and 0.80th quantiles. Surprisingly, it is evident that online learning time has a significant negative effect for some students in certain subjects. Finally, online education neither widens nor narrows the inequality of students' test scores.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Yue & Zhao, Guochang & Zhou, Bo, 2021. "Does learning longer improve student achievement? Evidence from online education of graduating students in a high school during COVID-19 period," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:70:y:2021:i:c:s1043951x21001097
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2021.101691
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhonggen Yu, 2022. "Sustaining Student Roles, Digital Literacy, Learning Achievements, and Motivation in Online Learning Environments during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-14, April.
    2. Yu Sun & Jon-Chao Hong & Jian-Hong Ye & Jhen-Ni Ye, 2023. "Satisfaction with Online Study Abroad Predicted by Motivation and Self-Efficacy: A Perspective Based on the Situated Expectancy–Value Theory during the COVID-19 Epidemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-15, February.
    3. Zhengyan Liang & Qing Zeng & Minqiang Zhang & Huijun Luo & Sijuan Huang & Jia Li & Da Yi, 2021. "How Course Support and Academic Support Impact on Chinese Graduate Students during the COVID-19: The Multiple Mediating Roles of Thesis Writing and Anxiety," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Guangyu Xu & Peijie Jiang & Bin Xiong, 2024. "The Impact of Online Education on Gifted Mathematics Students from Different Family Backgrounds," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-24, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Online education; Schooling achievement; Learning time; COVID-19;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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