Spatial–Temporal Differentiation and Influencing Factors of Rural Education Development in China: A Systems Perspective

Education is the cornerstone of rural revitalization. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the development of rural education in China from 2006 to 2020. From a systemic perspective, this study established a multidimensional evaluation index system for rural education and used the weight-TOPSIS method for measurement. Additionally, geographic information system and spatial econometric methods were employed to explore spatial–temporal differentiation and influencing factors. The results show that (1) rural education levels in China have generally improved in recent years, with higher development in northern, northeastern, and eastern regions and lower levels in central and southwestern regions. (2) In terms of spatial differentiation, rural education development among provinces has significant spatial agglomeration. The provinces around Beijing are hot spots, while remote southwestern provinces are cold spots. (3) Regarding dynamic evolution, the disparity in rural education development among provinces has widened, with a few provinces significantly ahead. There are club convergence features, and the hierarchy of rural education development between provinces is relatively stable, with less likelihood of lagging provinces catching up. (4) Economy, finance, industry, population, and urbanization are key factors influencing rural education, with spatial spillover effects on neighboring provinces. The study provides empirical support and policy insights for advancing balanced and high-quality rural education development.