A slightly digital learning environment in the hands of a rural teacher: modern-day teaching and its impact on student engagement and subject learning outcomes

If properly trained, rural teachers can successfully digitalize their classrooms even with limited resources at hand. This study aims to empirically examine how teaching with limited digital resources affects student engagement and student performance in the rural school setting. The study involved 245 middle school-aged children from three rural schools in China (M = 12.43; SD = 0.17). The results derived from the Behavioral, Emotional and Cognitive Engagement Scale (BECE Scale) showed a statistically significant increase in all dimensions of the engagement scale (behavioral, 5.63 points; emotional, 4.78 points; cognitive, 7.03 points). There were statistically significant differences in levels of engagement and performance detected between the two groups. The correlation analysis revealed that students’ performance in mathematics was positively related to cognitive (0.620**) and behavioral (0.591**) engagement and that their performance in Chinese language had a substantial positive association with behavioral engagement (0.564**). The results highlight the practical significance of digital technologies in Chinese rural education. The present findings can be used to develop educational programs and policies aimed at integrating digital technology into teaching.