Who Gains More? The Impact of Instructional Time on Student Reading Performance

• In Event: Explaining Student Outcomes: The Role of School Structures and Context

Abstract

Utilizing PISA 2018 dataset, this research aims to explore the relationship between instructional time and student reading performance, and the heterogeneity effect of instructional time investment in China. Using a PSM strategy, the result shows high instructional time investment will not lead to significant improvement in reading performance. The quantile treatment effect reveals that lower achievement students are the main beneficiaries of the increase in instructional time, however, students with good academic ability will suffer. Findings reveal that China’s current high-intensity instructional time investment is unreasonable. Besides, in the practice of promoting educational equity, we should be alert to the adverse effects of some reforms on the upper-end students.

Author

• Changjie Li