Can Non-Subject-Based Off-Campus Training Improve Student

Can Non-Subject-Based Off-Campus

Training Improve Student Mental Health in

the Context of the Implementation of the

Double Reduction Policy? A Study Based on a

Survey in 30 Counties in Six Eastern, Central,

and Western Provinces of China

Weidong Fu, Wei Li

Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, Hubei, China

Abstract: Mental Health of primary and secondary school students has

drawn wide public attention against the backdrop of the implementation

of the Double Reduction policy. This article aims to analyze the effects of

non-subject-based off-campus training on student mental health based

on an investigation among primary and secondary school students from

30 counties (cities, districts) in six eastern, central, and western

provinces of China.

Best Evidence in Chinese Education 2023; 13(2):1697-1701.

Doi: 10.15354/bece.23.ar033

How to Cite: Fu, W., & Li, W. (2023). Can non-subject-based off-campus training

improve student mental health in the context of the implementation of the double

reduction policy? A study based on a survey in 30 counties in six eastern, central,

and western provinces of China. Best Evidence in Chinese Education, 13(2):1697-

1701.

Keywords: Mental Health, Non-Subject-Based Training, Double Reduction Policy

Fu & Li. (Hubei). Off-Campus Training Improve Student Mental Health in China.

BECE, Vol.13, No.2, 2022 1698

Correspondence to: Weidong Fu, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, Hunan, China. E-mail:

604143009@qq.com

Conflict of Interests: None.

Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the

Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 License

(http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of

the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed by the Insights Publisher.

Fu & Li. (Hubei). Off-Campus Training Improve Student Mental Health in China.

BECE, Vol.13, No. 2, 2023 1699

Introduction

According to the survey results of the Report on National Mental Health Development

in China (2019-2020), only 14.24% of Chinese teenagers reached the standard of men-

tal healthiness and 24.6% of them were identified as suffering from depression in 2020

(Fu, Zhang, & Chen, 2021). This shows a worrisome circumstance of mental health

development in Chinese primary and secondary students. Hence, how to enhance their

mental health level has become a severe challenge in Chinese basic education. In July

2021, Chinese government issued the Opinions on Further Reducing the Burden of

Homework and Off-Campus Training for Compulsory Education Students (often re-

ferred to as the Double Reduction policy). As a result of the implementation of the

Double Reduction policy, the number of subject-based off-campus training institutions

has been significantly reduced, with a 95.6% decrease in offline institutions and 87.1%

reduction in online training platforms. This study focuses on the current state of non-

subject-based after-school training in the context of the execution of the Double Reduc-

tion policy and the impact of the participation in non-subject-based off-campus training

on mental health of primary and secondary school students.

Research Methods

Research Subjects

This study conducted a questionnaire investigation simultaneously in the eastern prov-

ince of Guangdong, central provinces of Hubei and Hunan, and western provinces of

Sichuan and Guizhou by means of stratified sampling and obtained 11340 question-

naires, among which 8436 were valid. As “participating in non-subject-based off-

campus training or not” is a key factor in the analysis, questionnaires with this critical

information missing were eliminated, and ultimately 5973 questionnaires were used in

this study.

Research Tools

The Independent Variable: Participating in non-subject-

based off-campus training or not.

The Dependent Variables

 Depression

Two items from the Depression Scale developed by the China Education Panel Survey

(CEPS) were used to measure students’ depression levels.

 State Anxiety

It is psychological and physiological transient reactions directly related to adverse situa-

tions in a specific moment. Consulted were the State Anxiety Scale from the State-and

Fu & Li. (Hubei). Off-Campus Training Improve Student Mental Health in China.

BECE, Vol.13, No. 2, 2023 1700

Trait-Anxiety Scales revised by Zhang (1998) and the Self-rating Inventory of Test

Anxiety revised by Wang (1995).

 Positive Affect

It refers to individuals’ positive attitudes. The Positive and Negative Affect Scales de-

veloped by Watson et al. (1988) were consulted.

Covariates

Individual, family, and school-level covariates were included in the analysis. This study

controlled for trait anxiety as a covariate of state anxiety since state anxiety may be af-

fected by trait anxiety of the individual.

Data Analysis

The processes of data analysis included the following: (i) Descriptive statistics were

used to present the dependent variables; (ii) Ordinary least square regression was adopt-

ed to analyze the relationships between the independent variable and dependent varia-

bles; (iii) Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM) was used to match the treatment and the

control groups, and the balance of the matching was checked; (iv) Iweight was utilized

to regress the relationships between the independent variable and dependent variables;

(v) Robustness check was conducted on the model.

Research Findings

 After the launch of the Double Reduction policy, the number of primary and sec-

ondary school students participating in non-subject-based off-campus training de-

creased slightly, while the time and money investment of the participants in the

training basically remained stable.

 Participating in non-subject-based off-campus training could significantly relieve

the depression of primary school students but had no significant effect on their

state anxiety and positive affect. It had no remarkable impact on the depression,

state anxiety, and positive affect of junior secondary school students.

 Non-subject-based off-campus training could effectively ease the depression and

state anxiety of urban students and rural non-left-behind students but had no signif-

icant influence on mental health of rural students and left-behind students (children

of migrant workers).

Fu & Li. (Hubei). Off-Campus Training Improve Student Mental Health in China.

BECE, Vol.13, No. 2, 2023 1701

References

Fu, X. L., Zhang, K., & Chen, X. F. (2021). Report on National Mental Health Development in China

(2019-2020). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China). 2021.

Wang, C. K. (1995). The application of the Self-Rating Inventory of Test Anxiety in Secondary

School Students and relevant factors. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology, 3(1):3.

Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Telegen, A. (1988) Development and Validation of Brief Measures of

Positive and Negative Affect: The PANAS Scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,

54(6):1063-1070. DOI: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1063

Zhang, M. Y. (1998). Psychiatric Evaluation Scale Manual. Changsha: Hunan Science and Technolo-

gy Press. 1998.

The Chinese version of this article has been published in Journal of Central China Normal Universi-

ty (Humanities and Social Sciences), 2023, 62(01):171-180. The English version has been authorized

for being publication in BECE by the author(s) and the Chinese journal.

付卫东

李伟

. “

双减

”

背景下非学科类校外培训能改善中小学生的心理健康状态吗？—基于

东中西部６省３０个县（市、区）的调查

华中师范大学学报

(

人文社会科学版

), 2023,

62(1):171-180

Received: 05 February 2023

Revised: 01 March 2023

Accepted: 10 March 2023