西瓜學校：學校規模消長成因及其教育機會均等意涵之研究

The topic of the research is “Investigating Near-by School Size Differences and Its Impact on Equality of Educational Opportunity”. School sizes differ. However, if two near-by schools differ greatly in their size, it is one thing we need to attend to. In this two-year study, the following research goals will be pursued: (a) investigate the distribution of near-by schools that differ dramatically in their sizes, (b) explore the reasons behind the formation of such phenomenon, (c) investigate the impact of school size differences of near-by schools on equality of educational opportunity,(d)understand how these near-by schools interpret and react to their dramatic differences in school size, (e)provide suggestions for reducing dramatic differences in school size of near-by school in order to promote equality of educational opportunity. Past research on equality of educational opportunity focused more on between-area inequality or inequality that is related to individual and school variables. Little attention is paid towards within-area inequality, a commonly seen phenomenon in Taiwan. In the first year, GIS will be used to identify the near-by schools that meet the selection criteria. Case study will then be conducted on selected samples from the population. Both document analysis and interviews will be conducted to explore the reasons behind the dramatic size differences of near-by schools and its impact on students. In the second year, focus-group interviews will be conducted to validate the findings from the first year. Surveys will then be conducted to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the research questions. Studies on equality of educational opportunity focused more on between-area inequalities or the relationship between individual/school level characteristics on inequality. This study focuses on within-area differences. Findings of the research will be able to extend the scope of the study on equality of educational opportunity. In addition, in the era of declining student population, schools face great challenges. Findings of the research can provide suggestions for policy-making, distribution of educational resources, and school management.