Promise and reality: using ICTs to bridge China's rural-urban divide in education

Rapid urbanization in China has worsened the educational disparity between rural and urban regions, which can lead to increased social stratification and injustice. Information and communications technologies (ICTs), with their potential to enable universal access and pedagogical reform, are considered a promising solution to bridge such disparity. To gain a deeper understanding of how ICTs can promote equity and quality in China's education system, this study employed the extended case method to critically evaluate the longitudinal changes in four rural schools since the implementation of ICT initiatives in 2014. Our study revealed that ICTs acted as an external force that disrupted the status quo of rural education in terms of pedagogical and curricular norms, classroom structure and dynamics, perceived school and teacher identities, and induced positive changes such as increased academic performance, social and emotional development for left-behind children, and professional development for rural teachers. The study also offered theoretical insight into the socioeconomic factors hindering the sustainable development of ICT-supported rural education. Our research findings can contribute to the theory development in educational equity, educational quality, and social justice, and inform policy formulation to revamp rural education in China.