The Impact of Shadow Education on Middle School Students' College Entrance Examination under the "Matthew Effect"

Jiayi Lei

doi:10.54097/e1m9ry11

Authors

Jiayi Lei

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/e1m9ry11

Keywords:

Matthew Effect, Shadow Education, Bourdieu's Capital Theory, Middle School Students, College Entrance Examination

Abstract

Against the backdrop of uneven distribution of educational resources, shadow education has evolved into a key force shaping the competitive landscape of the college entrance examination. This study, framed by Bourdieu's capital theory, focuses on how cultural capital and economic capital drive high school students' participation in shadow education, and examines its consequences for further education and the risk of the "Matthew effect". Using freshmen from multiple universities as samples, this study collects relevant variables covering cultural capital, economic capital, participation in shadow education, and college entrance examination results through online questionnaires, and conducts matching analysis with existing databases. By systematically modeling the capital-shadow education-further education pathway, this study aims to reveal the reproduction logic of shadow education and provide empirical evidence and policy implications for alleviating educational inequality.

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