2023 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Impact of school consolidations on school quality: An analysis of public elementary and junior high schools in Japan
| Project/Area Number |
23K18803
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Osaka University |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2023-08-31 – 2025-03-31
|
| Keywords | School consolidation / Compulsory education |
|---|
| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
The initial stage of this research, which included data acquisition, identification of consolidated schools, and a survey of teachers, has been completed.
During the observed period from 2013 to 2020, 12% of public elementary schools and 9% of public junior high schools nationwide (excluding Fukushima prefecture) experienced a consolidation, most often in the form of an existing school absorbing another.
The teacher survey revealed that teachers with experience working in newly consolidated schools prefer to work in them or in unaffected schools compared to teachers without such experience. However, there is no difference between these two groups of teachers in terms of working in a school slated for consolidation, or in sending their own children to either type of school.
|
| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
This research is progressing according to schedule. In the initial stages, this project faced two main obstacles:
1) Data acqusition.
Data was acquired and original survey of teachers was conducted.
2) Identifing consolidated schools.
Although more patterns of consolidation were found than originally expected, closing and consolidated schools were identified.
|
| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The main tasks going forward are the statistical analysis and organizing its results into a presentation format and a paper. The original research goal was to compare pre-consolidation and consolidated schools with those that were never consolidated. The main analytical challenge is addressing the various patterns of school consolidations. With the available school-level panel data, this issue can be addressed by conducting additional analyses on a higher administrative level, specifically at the municipality level.
|
| Causes of Carryover |
The amount spent on remuneration for research assistants during the initial year was lower than originally planned. The amount left over will be used to cover travel expenses and article costs.
|
Research Products
(2 results)
