IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0294902.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Evaluating the efficiency, productivity change, and technology gaps of China’s provincial higher education systems: A comprehensive analytical framework

Author

Listed:
  • Jiani Liu
  • Kim Jungyin
  • Shim Jaewoo
  • Lee Heechul
  • Wasi Ul Hassan Shah

Abstract

China’s higher education system is one of the largest and most complex in the world, with a vast number of higher education institutions scattered across different provinces. Evaluating the efficiency, productivity change, and technology gaps of these institutions is significant for understanding their performance and identifying areas for improvement. In this context, this study employs three different approaches, DEA super-SBM, Malmquist Productivity Index, and Meta-Frontier Analysis, to evaluate the efficiency, productivity change, and technology gaps of China’s provincial higher education systems. The study results revealed that the average higher education efficiency in China is 1.0015 for the study period of 2010–2021. A rapid and continuous increase was witnessed in higher education efficiency in China from 2014 to 2020. Meta-frontier and Group-frontier, higher education efficiency scores of low-level literate provinces are greater than middle and high-level literate provinces. However, the TGR of higher and middle-level literate provinces is greater than low-level literate provinces, indicating a superior technological level. The average MI score is 1.0034, indicating growth in productivity change. Efficiency change is the main determinant in higher education productivity growth instead of technological growth. The Middle and Low-level literate provinces witnessed growth in higher education productivity, while high-level literate provinces observed a decline in productivity change. The Kruskal-Wallis test provides evidence that a significant statistical difference exists among the three groups of education levels for the average scores of MI, EC, TC, and TGR.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiani Liu & Kim Jungyin & Shim Jaewoo & Lee Heechul & Wasi Ul Hassan Shah, 2024. "Evaluating the efficiency, productivity change, and technology gaps of China’s provincial higher education systems: A comprehensive analytical framework," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(1), pages 1-25, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0294902
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294902
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0294902
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0294902&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0294902?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hyunjin Cha & Taejung Park & Jongwon Seo, 2020. "What Should Be Considered when Developing ICT-Integrated Classroom Models for a Developing Country?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-19, April.
    2. Guironnet, Jean-Pascal & Peypoch, Nicolas, 2018. "The geographical efficiency of education and research: The ranking of U.S. universities," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 44-55.
    3. Ding, Tao & Zhang, Yun & Zhang, Danlu & Li, Feng, 2023. "Performance evaluation of Chinese research universities: A parallel interactive network DEA approach with shared and fixed sum inputs," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 87(PA).
    4. Mao, Weining & Koo, Won W., 1997. "Productivity growth, technological progress, and efficiency change in chinese agriculture after rural economic reforms: A DEA approach," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 157-174.
    5. Avkiran, Necmi K., 2001. "Investigating technical and scale efficiencies of Australian Universities through data envelopment analysis," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 57-80, March.
    6. Chen, Ya & Pan, Yongbin & Liu, Haoxiang & Wu, Huaqing & Deng, Guangwei, 2023. "Efficiency analysis of Chinese universities with shared inputs: An aggregated two-stage network DEA approach," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    7. Jie Wu & Ganggang Zhang & Qingyuan Zhu & Zhixiang Zhou, 2020. "An efficiency analysis of higher education institutions in China from a regional perspective considering the external environmental impact," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 122(1), pages 57-70, January.
    8. Maria Olivares & Andrea Schenker-Wicki, 2012. "The Dynamics of Productivity in the Swiss and German University Sector: A Non-Parametric Analysis that Accounts for Heterogeneous Production," Working Papers 309, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    9. Walheer, Barnabé, 2018. "Aggregation of metafrontier technology gap ratios: the case of European sectors in 1995–2015," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 269(3), pages 1013-1026.
    10. Hang, Ye & Sun, Jiasen & Wang, Qunwei & Zhao, Zengyao & Wang, Yizhong, 2015. "Measuring energy inefficiency with undesirable outputs and technology heterogeneity in Chinese cities," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 46-52.
    11. Wadim Strielkowski & Vyacheslav Volchik & Artyom Maskaev & Pavel Savko, 2020. "Leadership and Effective Institutional Economics Design in the Context of Education Reforms," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-15, April.
    12. Borsi, Mihály Tamás & Valerio Mendoza, Octasiano Miguel & Comim, Flavio, 2022. "Measuring the provincial supply of higher education institutions in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    13. Tone, Kaoru, 2002. "A slacks-based measure of super-efficiency in data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 32-41, November.
    14. Delimiro Visbal-Cadavid & Mónica Martínez-Gómez & Francisco Guijarro, 2017. "Assessing the Efficiency of Public Universities through DEA. A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-19, August.
    15. Aparicio, Juan & Cordero, Jose M. & Gonzalez, Martin & Lopez-Espin, Jose J., 2018. "Using non-radial DEA to assess school efficiency in a cross-country perspective: An empirical analysis of OECD countries," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 9-20.
    16. Yaisawarng, Suthathip & Ng, Ying Chu, 2014. "The impact of higher education reform on research performance of Chinese universities," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 94-105.
    17. Moonyoung Eom & Hyungchul Yoo & Jisung Yoo, 2022. "Efficiency and Productivity of Local Educational Administration in Korea Using the Malmquist Productivity Index," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-14, April.
    18. Li, Hui & Wu, Dongdong, 2024. "Online investor attention and firm restructuring performance: Insights from an event-based DEA-Tobit model," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    19. Tommaso Agasisti & Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent, 2021. "Cross-country analysis of higher education institutions’ efficiency: The role of strategic positioning," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 48(1), pages 66-79.
    20. E Thanassoulis & M Kortelainen & G Johnes & J Johnes, 2011. "Costs and efficiency of higher education institutions in England: a DEA analysis," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 62(7), pages 1282-1297, July.
    21. Wasi Ul Hassan Shah & Gang Hao & Hong Yan & Rizwana Yasmeen, 2022. "Efficiency evaluation of commercial banks in Pakistan: A slacks-based measure Super-SBM approach with bad output (Non-performing loans)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(7), pages 1-22, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rella, Angela & Rubino, Michele & Raimo, Nicola & Vitolla, Filippo, 2024. "Does the digitalization of municipalities affect the efficiency of universities? An Italian case study using DEA and Malmquist index approaches," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    2. Sun, Yu & Yang, Feng & Wang, Dawei & Ang, Sheng, 2023. "Efficiency evaluation for higher education institutions in China considering unbalanced regional development: A meta-frontier Super-SBM model," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    3. Wang, Derek D., 2019. "Performance-based resource allocation for higher education institutions in China," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 66-75.
    4. Zhang, Ganggang & Wu, Jie & Zhu, Qingyuan, 2020. "Performance evaluation and enrollment quota allocation for higher education institutions in China," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    5. Badiee, Aghdas & Moshtari, Mohammad & Berenguer, Gemma, 2024. "A systematic review of operations research and management science modeling techniques in the study of higher education institutions," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    6. Marcel Clermont & Julia Schaefer, 2019. "Identification of Outliers in Data Envelopment Analysis," Schmalenbach Business Review, Springer;Schmalenbach-Gesellschaft, vol. 71(4), pages 475-496, October.
    7. Zihong Liu & Haitao Xiong & Ying Sun, 2023. "Will Online MOOCs Improve the Efficiency of Chinese Higher Education Institutions? An Empirical Study Based on DEA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-21, March.
    8. Tommaso Agasisti & Guo-liang Yang & Yao-yao Song & Carolyn-Thi Thanh Dung Tran, 2021. "Evaluating the higher education productivity of Chinese and European “elite” universities using a meta-frontier approach," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(7), pages 5819-5853, July.
    9. Chen, Ya & Pan, Yongbin & Liu, Haoxiang & Wu, Huaqing & Deng, Guangwei, 2023. "Efficiency analysis of Chinese universities with shared inputs: An aggregated two-stage network DEA approach," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    10. Mehdi Rhaiem & Nabil Amara, 2020. "Determinants of research efficiency in Canadian business schools: evidence from scholar-level data," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 125(1), pages 53-99, October.
    11. Thomas Bolli & Mehdi Farsi, 2015. "The dynamics of productivity in Swiss universities," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 21-38, August.
    12. Xianmei Wang & Hanhui Hu, 2017. "Sustainability in Chinese Higher Educational Institutions’ Social Science Research: A Performance Interface toward Efficiency," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-18, October.
    13. BERBEGAL MIRABENT, Jasmina & SOLÉ PARELLADA, Francesc, 2012. "What Are We Measuring When Evaluating Universities’ Efficiency?," Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 12(3).
    14. Ching-Ren Chiu & Ming-Chung Chang & Jin-Li Hu, 2022. "Energy intensity improvement and energy productivity changes: an analysis of BRICS and G7 countries," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 297-311, June.
    15. Ruiz, José L. & Segura, José V. & Sirvent, Inmaculada, 2015. "Benchmarking and target setting with expert preferences: An application to the evaluation of educational performance of Spanish universities," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 242(2), pages 594-605.
    16. Muammer Maral & Münevver Çetin, 2024. "Teaching, research, and third mission efficiency of universities: A data envelopment analysis and hybrid multi‐criteria decision‐making approach," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 45(4), pages 2171-2188, June.
    17. Chen, Xiaolei & Guan, Zhongcheng & Yang, Guoliang & Pan, Hao & Xiong, Xi, 2024. "Evaluation of technology transfer performance for Chinese universities based on a dual-game cross-efficiency model," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    18. Kristof De Witte & Laura López-Torres, 2017. "Efficiency in education: a review of literature and a way forward," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 68(4), pages 339-363, April.
    19. Yukun Shi & Duchun Wang & Zimeng Zhang, 2022. "Categorical Evaluation of Scientific Research Efficiency in Chinese Universities: Basic and Applied Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-16, April.
    20. Agasisti, Tommaso & Barra, Cristian & Zotti, Roberto, 2016. "Evaluating the efficiency of Italian public universities (2008–2011) in presence of (unobserved) heterogeneity," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 47-58.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0294902. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.