Analysis Of The Reasons For The Urban-Rural Gap Between Science Literacy Of Middle School Students And Improvement Strategy Research In Western China

Supporting the development of science education in western schools and narrowing the western urban-rural gap between students' science literacy are important measures to promote targeted poverty alleviation of education,promote balanced development of urban and rural education,and guarantee education equity.Therefore,it is important to analyze the gap between the science literacy of middle school students in western China and the reasons for the gap.This study used the Education Policy Research Institute of Southwest University to monitor the educational quality and influencing factors of 107 junior high schools in a western city.The two-level linear model(HLM)was used to analyze the current situation of the urban-rural gap between science literacy of the middle school students and the reasons from various levels.The study found that the average score of urban students' science literacy is 534.24 points,the average score of township students is 491.62 points,and the gap between urban and township students is 42.62 points,which is about 1.42 years difference in educational experience.In terms of science knowledge,the urban students are more sophisticated than the township middle school students.In terms of science ability,the performance of the urban science ability is also more prominent than that of the township middle school students.Among the starting factors that affect the fairness of urban and rural education,the ratio of students to teachers,the average budget expenditure and the early science experience of students have a significant impact on the gap between the literacy of urban and rural students.The ratio of students to teachers in township schools is still relatively large.This gap in teacher allocation can stimulate students' science literacy gap of about 3.508 points.Urban education expenditure may face redundancy risks,while the shortage of funds in township schools is restricting the further improvement of students' science literacy.Although the early science experience played a greater role in the cultivation of the science literacy of township students,the lack of early science experience restricted the effective functioning of this function.In the process factors affecting urban and rural education equity,the teaching behaviors of science teachers such as students' views on science teachers and teaching,the teaching support of science classroom,the inquiry teaching of science teachers and the bullying of campus have opened the gap between the science literacy of urban and rural students in different degree.Specifically,The teaching support of the township science teachers is weaker than that of the urban schools,and township students' views on science teachers is also not strong.The lack of identity makes the science literacy of township students significantly lower than the city by 12.98 points.In addition,urban science teachers use inquiry-based teaching methods frequently,but in township junior high schools,the use of the method has a negative impact on students' science literacy,and the level of inquiry-based teaching needs to be improved.What's more,the science activities organized by township schools have a more serious negative impact on students' science literacy.The role of school science activities in the cultivation of students' scientific literacy has not been fully exerted.Moreover,township schools are more likely to be bullied than cities.Speech bullying,financial bullying and social isolation are the main manifestations of bullying in township schools,and these factors have led to a significant decline in the science literacy of township students by 8.978 points.Science classroom discipline,science teacher teaching guidance,science teacher evaluation feedback,and science teacher's appropriate teaching have no obvious effect on the formation of urban and rural students' science literacy gap.Middle school students in western towns are in a weak position among many starting and process factors.we should make an effort to narrow the urban-rural gap between science education and ensure that every student enjoys fair and quality education,these efforts including the following methods: Continuing to strengthen the western township teachers and fund supplements and constructing early warning mechanism of investing in risk;Jointly promoting informal science education in towns,and actively carrying out early interventions;Increasing teaching support for students in western towns and enhancing students' sense of identity in science classrooms;Optimizing skills training for science teachers in western townships and improving teachers' level of inquiry teaching;Promoting science activity resources to township schools and improving students' participation in science activities;Preventing and control the bullying behavior of township schools and establishing a system of academic assistance for bullying students.