Inequality Rather Than Want Is the Cause of Trouble

• In Event: The Role of Funding in Supporting Equitable School Reform Policies

Abstract

The performance pay system is advocated at the national level in China to motivating teachers, but it has failed in many rural areas. This study surveyed teachers in a rural county in China that implemented performance-based salary reform for 3 years, explored the effect of the reform, and discussed the relationship between a system emphasizesd efficiency and a culture emphasized equality. It found that the performance-based salary system indistinguishably led to decreased work enthusiasm, increased work stress, and decreased teachers' perception of justice. School-level justice has not changed over time and the teacher’s perception of justice showed an mediating effect. The education policy makers should focus on policies that are suitable for local culture, rather than blindly borrowing.

Authors

• Li Ma, Beijing Normal University

• Qian Zhao, Beijing Normal University