What determines comprehensive performance of left-behind students in China?: a multilevel study

Comprehensive performance of Chinese students consists of objective performance and subjective performance. Drawing on cross-sectional data from the 2009 Rural Household Survey Questionnaire, this study uses multilevel regression models to estimate the role of educational investment in subjective-assessed education quality and subjective-assessed school performance. It regresses children's Chinese scores and math scores and family context variables. The results indicate that educational investments, including regular fees for school, and total sponsorship fees/temporarily study fees/school selection fees, are important variables explaining the education quality and nonofficial-assessed school performance of left-behind students. This multilevel regression model also shows that objective performance, including Chinese scores and math scores, can be explained by effort for study. Greatly important, regular fees, tuition, cost of food and accommodation, supplemental cost at school, other fees, showed no significant prediction to scores of Chinese language. In the present study, it indirectly depicts important aspects in Chinese education.