Practical Research on teacher mobility policies for Reducing Urban-Rural Educational Disparities

Abstract

Educational equity constitutes the core foundation of social justice, while balanced urban-rural education has emerged as a central agenda for global educational development in the contemporary era. Uneven teacher distribution across urban and rural regions has long remained the primary driver of persistent inter-regional gaps in schooling quality. As an institutional mechanism to reallocate educational human resources and integrate urban and rural schooling assets, teacher mobility policies deliver irreplaceable value in mitigating shortages of premium rural education resources and advancing integrated urban-rural education. This paper adopts a policy analysis and institutional evaluation research framework, employing literature review, domestic policy text analysis, and international comparative policy research as core methodological approaches. Grounded in human resource allocation theory and educational equity theory, it systematically examines the tangible outcomes of teacher mobility policy measures in bridging urban-rural education divides, diagnoses implementation bottlenecks in current policy frameworks, and develops targeted, institutionalized optimization strategies that align precisely with identified challenges. The study reveals that while teacher mobility policies have contributed to narrowing the urban-rural education gap, persistent obstacles including inadequate incentive mechanisms, insufficient post-transfer support systems, and misalignment between policy design and grassroots realities continue to limit their effectiveness. By synthesizing empirical evidence from multiple policy contexts, this research offers actionable institutional blueprints for refining teacher mobility policy mechanisms, strengthening implementation governance, and advancing high-quality, equitable basic education on a global scale.