Abstract:

This paper exploits the natural experiment of the Class-to-Class Connectivity Project (CCC) and constructs a difference-in-differences strategy based on the China Education Panel Survey to investigate the effect of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education on students' development in junior high schools. The findings indicate that CCC exerts a positive impact on the cognitive abilities of students in rural schools,with no statistically significant evidence of effects on test scores. However, CCC significantly improves non–cognitive outcomes, with stronger improvements observed in rural schools. The effects of CCC are primarily concentrated among male students and do not vary with family economic or educational backgrounds, but students owning books at home are more likely to benefit from CCC. Mechanism analysis reveals that increased teacher usage of ICT equipment, enhanced teacher-student interactions in class, and improved student performance on campus are the primary channels.

Key words:

ICT in education, Class-to-Class Connectivity, cognitive ability, non-cognitive outcome, difference-in-differences