Abstract
Educational sustainability development (ESD) is central to our sustainable future. To promote inclusive and equitable quality education under the backdrop of sustainable developmental goals (SDGs), we intend to understand how rural students perform in academic studies of post-compulsory high-school education in China by assessing their academic performance based on measurements of four content subjects: Chinese, English, Physics and Biology. A total of 93 senior high school students (Grade 11 and Grade 12) participated in this study and they were enrolled in a rural school from the Guizhou province, China. Our results yielded no significant differences in overall test scores between Grade 11 and Grade 12. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) across grade level showed stagnant progress in English reading and a decrease in science-related subjects, which indicates a plateau of academic achievements in rural secondary education. Furthermore, the interactional analysis identified a gender gap leaning toward male students because boys scored higher than girls in the three tested subjects. Applied implications were discussed with respect to sustainable education development in rural areas.
Highlights
IntroductionGlobal communities have affirmed the commitment to equity and quality in education under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) banner
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is perceived as a crucial enabler for sustainable development [1], and serves as a lever in the international education sector.Global communities have affirmed the commitment to equity and quality in education under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) banner
The results showed that girls lagged behind their male counterparts in most of academic contents which indicates a potential gender gap in academic achievements in the Chinese rural educational landscape
Summary
Global communities have affirmed the commitment to equity and quality in education under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) banner. 4 (SDG4) signals a far-reaching commitment to ensure ‘inclusive and equitable quality education for all and promote lifelong learning at all levels of education [2]. The SDG 4 represents a shift of focus from universal education toward quality education. Another key feature in SDG 4 is the emphasis on equity in education. In spite of the wide implementation and achievements in ESD, marginalized communities such as rural and remote regions are still plagued by limited educational resources, together with over-crowded and underequipped learning conditions and unqualified teachers [3].
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