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<p>Educational technology is widely promoted as a tool for improving learning outcomes and reducing educational inequality. Yet its implications for adolescents’ socio-emotional development remain insufficiently understood, particularly in contexts characterized by pronounced urban–rural disparities. This study examines the relationship between classroom digitalization and socio-emotional development among middle school students in China, with attention to urban–rural differences.</p><p>Drawing on two-wave panel data from the China Education Panel Survey (2013–2015), we analyzed a nationally representative sample of 9035 students across 28 counties. Socio-emotional development was measured using a multidimensional index capturing core personality traits, including conscientiousness, openness, emotional stability, and extraversion. Using lagged regression models and Propensity Score Matching, we assessed how teacher-reported classroom technology use was associated with subsequent socio-emotional outcomes.</p><p>The results show that greater classroom digitalization is associated with stronger socio-emotional development, particularly in conscientiousness and openness. These associations are substantially larger among rural students than among their urban peers, suggesting that classroom technology use may help offset disadvantages linked to unequal educational environments. Additional analyses indicate that students’ educational expectations and self-confidence are important pathways connecting classroom digitalization to socio-emotional outcomes.</p><p>Overall, this study contributes to debates on digital inclusion and educational inequality by highlighting the relevance of socio-emotional development in evaluations of educational technology and offering insights for more inclusive digital education strategies.</p>

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Technology, equity, and human development: how classroom digitalization shapes socio-emotional outcomes in China

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月29日

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  • Jie Yang,
  • Junhao Wu,
  • Xu Zhang,
  • Sijie Zhao,
  • Longjiang Guo,
  • Jianzhi Gao

摘要

Educational technology is widely promoted as a tool for improving learning outcomes and reducing educational inequality. Yet its implications for adolescents’ socio-emotional development remain insufficiently understood, particularly in contexts characterized by pronounced urban–rural disparities. This study examines the relationship between classroom digitalization and socio-emotional development among middle school students in China, with attention to urban–rural differences.

Drawing on two-wave panel data from the China Education Panel Survey (2013–2015), we analyzed a nationally representative sample of 9035 students across 28 counties. Socio-emotional development was measured using a multidimensional index capturing core personality traits, including conscientiousness, openness, emotional stability, and extraversion. Using lagged regression models and Propensity Score Matching, we assessed how teacher-reported classroom technology use was associated with subsequent socio-emotional outcomes.

The results show that greater classroom digitalization is associated with stronger socio-emotional development, particularly in conscientiousness and openness. These associations are substantially larger among rural students than among their urban peers, suggesting that classroom technology use may help offset disadvantages linked to unequal educational environments. Additional analyses indicate that students’ educational expectations and self-confidence are important pathways connecting classroom digitalization to socio-emotional outcomes.

Overall, this study contributes to debates on digital inclusion and educational inequality by highlighting the relevance of socio-emotional development in evaluations of educational technology and offering insights for more inclusive digital education strategies.