On the urban-rural differences in classroom environment in compulsory education in the Eastern coastal developed areas of China

Abstract

Totally 789 students from 18 schools (9 primary schools and 9 junior high schools) at a medium managed level from Shanghai, Wenzhou, and Aojiang, which are located in the Eastern coastal developed areas of China were investigated with the questionnaire of Hong Kong Classroom Environment Scale in this study. The result indicates that the actual classroom environment in the Eastern coastal developed areas at the present stage of curriculum reform is as follows. (1) The satisfaction of the students is above the average. Teachers’ involvement and support are higher than collaboration, classroom order and the student involvement. (2) There are significant differences between urban and rural areas. The big cities are better than the middle-sized cities, while the latter are better than the counties in the aspects of collaboration, teacher involvement and support. The big cities are better than counties, but the counties are better than the middle-sized cities in the aspects of classroom order and student involvement. (3) The three main types of the actual classroom environment are high, middle and low ones, which distribute in a descending way in big cities, middle-sized cities and counties. (4) Per capita GDP of a region is a main factor affecting classroom environment.