Abstract:

Based on the China Statistical Yearbook and the China Family Tracking Survey (CFPS), this paper investigates the impact of regional transportation infrastructure development levels on family education expectations. The study shows that transportation infrastructure is significantly and positively related to household educational expectations, and that improved transportation infrastructure can increase household willingness to participate in higher education. The mechanism study shows that transportation infrastructure affects family educational expectation through two channels: increasing family income, changing fertility concept and educational philosophy. Furthermore, the impact of transportation infrastructure development on family educational expectation is heterogeneous: in rural areas with less developed transportation infrastructure, areas with low average parental education, slow information flow, and families with lower social class, the relationship between transportation infrastructure and family educational expectations was particularly significant. In urban areas with higher average parental education, faster information flow, and in households with higher social class, the positive relationship is not significant. These research findings provide new ideas for the state and government to better promote education poverty alleviation and rural revitalization in poor areas.

Key words: transport infrastructure, family education expectation, mechanism, the heterogeneity analysis