Does Boarding Benefit the Development of Secondary Students? Evidence From Rural China

• In Event: Contemporary Issues in Developmental Psychology

Abstract

Boarding schools have been widely established in China as a strategy to provide quality education for rural students, whereas its effectiveness has not yet been confirmed. The current study examined the boarding effect on secondary students’ development and academic achievements using clusters sampling and propensity score matching approach. Altogether 3157 Grade 9 students (NFemale = 1801; MeanAge = 15.05) in a rural area were tested with PISA Math and Reading (2008). The boarding on campus showed a significantly negative effect on students’ Math, Reading, and Health performance, but a significantly positive effect on bullying and bullying victimization. The mechanisms through which boarding on campus might affect students' achievement are also discussed.

Authors

• Ling Li, Memorial University of Newfoundland

• Hui Li, Macquarie University

• Jiayi Shi, Southwest University