Entrepreneurship and Education: An Analysis of the Impact of Compulsory Education Policies in Counties in China

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The topic of the manuscript is relevant. It is devoted to the impact of free compulsory education on entrepreneurial activity. This topic is of interest from a theoretical and practical point of view.

The author's methodology for determining this dependence deserves special attention.

The authors confirmed the research hypotheses based on empirical analysis using data collected from 2,528 districts and counties in China spanning from 2000 to 2021.

The paper is structured and contains the necessary sections. The relevance of the study is substantiated. References to sources are relevant. An extensive literature review has been conducted. The sources correspond to the topic of the manuscript.

However, to improve the understanding of the content of the article, it needs some revision.

1. Not all variables in the formulas have explanations. It is not specified what is meant by σ in formulas (1) and (3), c in formula (6), β2 and β3 in formulas (12) and (13).

2. "The accumulation of educational resources is now dependent on the accumulation of capital, resulting in a significant distortion of the two fundamental characteristics of compulsory education: universality and freedom" (lines 43-46). At the same time, the expansion of compulsory education refers to an exogenous shock (line 114). In this regard, it would be interesting to indicate whether enterprises somehow influence the decision-making on the expansion of compulsory education in the territory.

3. Does subsequent education (for example, studying at a higher education institution) matter for the development of entrepreneurial activity? The opinion of the authors would be interesting as a recommendation.

4. As a recommendation, it would be interesting to know whether there is policy measures in China aimed at combining the efforts of the business and educational sectors. This refers to section 5.2. Recommendations

Overall, the manuscript is a high-quality study. But answers to these questions will help improve the quality of the paper and increase the interest of readers.

Author Response

Dear reviewer, thank you very much for your suggestion to us, it is really appreciated and we have provided the following response to the suggestion you made.

Comments 1: Not all variables in the formulas have explanations. It is not specified what is meant by σ in formulas (1) and (3), c in formula (6), β2 and β3 in formulas (12) and (13).

Response 1:Thank you very much for pointing this out, for σ , we re-state it in the text, for  β2 and β3, the default in a general linear regression model is the coefficients of the corresponding explanatory variables, what we are interested in is β1, and for the sake of brevity of textual expression,  β2 and β3 is then not stated.

Comments 2: "The accumulation of educational resources is now dependent on the accumulation of capital, resulting in a significant distortion of the two fundamental characteristics of compulsory education: universality and freedom" (lines 43-46). At the same time, the expansion of compulsory education refers to an exogenous shock (line 114). In this regard, it would be interesting to indicate whether enterprises somehow influence the decision-making on the expansion of compulsory education in the territory.

Response 2:For this issue, we think you have raised a very good point and have revised the article with reference to your suggestion, we think that Although the accumulation of educational resources relies on capital accumulation, the extension of free compulsory education ultimately depends on the decision-making of the government. This decision is primarily aimed at bolstering the prevalence of compulsory education, and therefore, can be considered an exogenous shock.

Comments 3:Does subsequent education (for example, studying at a higher education institution) matter for the development of entrepreneurial activity? The opinion of the authors would be interesting as a recommendation.

Response 3:Yes, this is really a very good comment, we are mainly looking at the impact of extending free and compulsory education at the upper secondary level on entrepreneurial activity, and the impact of subsequent education on entrepreneurial activity that you have raised is really not well covered by us, and it's a much deeper and more important topic of research, and we're considering focusing on that topic in detail in our subsequent research.

Comments 4：As a recommendation, it would be interesting to know whether there is policy measures in China aimed at combining the efforts of the business and educational sectors. This refers to section 5.2. Recommendations.

Response 4: Thank you very much for your suggestion, and we have included relevant content in the suggestion section. China does have efforts in which the government and enterprises work together to strengthen the transformation of the results of compulsory education, and we suggest that other regions should refer to and learn from the experience of successful regions and vigorously promote cooperation between industries, universities and research institutes.

Finally, thank you again for the advice you provided, we really appreciate it!

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

1)      When choosing a title, it is necessary to pay attention to several criteria: clarity, relevance, conciseness and conciseness, and describing the method and enjoyment. The choice of title is good. However, it can be considered for the selection of alternative titles, namely: a) Encouraging entrepreneurship through education: an analysis of compulsory education policies in developing regions in China; b) Expansion of compulsory education and entrepreneurship; explore relationships from county data in China; c) Entrepreneurship and education: An analysis of the impact of compulsory education policies in counties in China.

2)      In the Background of the Problem section, the information is too general. It does not directly touch on specific aspects of education and entrepreneurship problems in developing countries, and concrete data on the region's education and entrepreneurship level are studied.

3)      The urgency of research is crucial in social and economic contexts, focusing on improving free education and addressing global issues such as digitalization and economic transformation, which require relevant new tools.

4)      The explanation of research gaps is that of under-examined abilities and decisions, which helps to identify relevant and specific aspects of the influence of education that have not been researched.

5)      Novelty in research should include unique contributions, the use of data panels, and the integration of new theories of economic geography to provide a different understanding of education and entrepreneurship.

6)      The research idea should be specific and provide a clear understanding of the proposed approach. The idea should include a well-formulated hypothesis, a well-designed methodology, and a well-structured research model.

7)      Relevant research papers should be descriptive and well-integrated in the research context. Papers should be structured around relevant topics, such as education, economic issues, and local contexts. The paper should also identify key studies that demonstrate education's positive or negative impact on the economy, address the local context, and contextualize the research with the relevant Chinese context.

8)      The explanation of the underlying theory is more detailed and precise, as well as how the theory is relevant to this research. Delve deeper into relevant economic theories, such as human capital and how education contributes to human capital development.

9)      The Theoretical Background and educational model are based on a structured approach that may not be suitable for each subtopic, leading to confusion and potential conflict. Its key elements include a clear definition of education, a clear transition, and a clear understanding of the educational context.

10)   Theoretical Background: The language in the text may be technical in nature and may require skilled translators. Key points include the use of more structured and clear language, as well as the use of clear and concise information to aid comprehension.

11)   Theoretical Background and Model: Although citations provide context, some sources may not be well integrated into the discussion. Contextualize Citations: Use their relevance to the argument being made and the latest and relevant citations.

12)   This article discusses the theoretical and model backgrounds, highlighting the relationship between the two and the empirical results of data analysis on previous topics. This article also emphasizes the importance of theoretical Background in research and research questions.

13)   The explanation of consumption decisions may not be in-depth enough regarding how education affects consumer preferences and abilities. Input: Include more details on how education influences consumption decisions, mention knowledge improvement, provide real-life examples, and explain what is being done.

14)   Education production decisions may focus on mathematical and theoretical aspects without providing practical implications. Key elements include contextualizing production decisions with factors that affect education, providing long-term production support, and visualizing data to show the impact of education on production.

15)   This text discusses criticisms of empirical models, including a lack of general information about model implementation and variable selection and a lack of information about assumptions, suggesting improvements in providing more detailed information about the model's double differences.

16)   Variable Declaration: 1) . Inconsistent Definition: There is a variable "DID" without sufficient explanation of the acronym. In the reader's context, this may not be familiar, which can be unclear; 2) Variable Control Details: Although there is no list or explanation, the control details are used in the analysis.

17)   Key conclusions include criticism of the lack of specificity in the findings, generality in the research, improvements in quantitative data analysis and detailed explanations of the relationship between free education and regional economic activity.

 

18)   The recommendations include a lack of practical guidance on implementing effective educational programs, the lack of social and cultural aspects that can affect the effectiveness of free education in community contexts, and the need to address regional differences and local contexts to improve the effectiveness of educational programs.

Author Response

Dear reviewer, we are very grateful for the suggestions you provided, you are very patient and the suggestions are really valuable, for the suggestions you provided, we have consolidated them and give you the following reply.

Comments 1:When choosing a title, it is necessary to pay attention to several criteria: clarity, relevance, conciseness and conciseness, and describing the method and enjoyment. The choice of title is good. However, it can be considered for the selection of alternative titles, namely: a) Encouraging entrepreneurship through education: an analysis of compulsory education policies in developing regions in China; b) Expansion of compulsory education and entrepreneurship; explore relationships from county data in China; c) Entrepreneurship and education: An analysis of the impact of compulsory education policies in counties in China.

Response 1:This is a very good suggestion, and we have taken your suggestion for a replacement of the title into account.

Comments 2：In the Background of the Problem section, the information is too general. It does not directly touch on specific aspects of education and entrepreneurship problems in developing countries, and concrete data on the region's education and entrepreneurship level are studied.

Response 2:Yes, our background introduction is a bit broad, thus we have included other relevant information in the article, and for China's compulsory education and entrepreneurial activities, we have collected data and written it in the article, thank you very much for your suggestion.

Comments 6:The research idea should be specific and provide a clear understanding of the proposed approach. The idea should include a well-formulated hypothesis, a well-designed methodology, and a well-structured research model.

Response 6 Yes, we have considered this suggestion very carefully and have detailed the research ideas and empirical thoughts in the research methodology section, thank you very much for your suggestion.

Comments 13:The explanation of consumption decisions may not be in-depth enough regarding how education affects consumer preferences and abilities. Input: Include more details on how education influences consumption decisions, mention knowledge improvement, provide real-life examples, and explain what is being done.

Response 13:Yes, I have explained this path and provided examples with reference to your suggestion.

Comments 16:Variable Declaration: 1) . Inconsistent Definition: There is a variable "DID" without sufficient explanation of the acronym. In the reader's context, this may not be familiar, which can be unclear; 2) Variable Control Details: Although there is no list or explanation, the control details are used in the analysis.

Response 16:We have looked very carefully at the whole piece of writing and we have added a note on the construction of the DID variable in the setup phase of the model, thank you very much for your suggestion.

Comments 18:The recommendations include a lack of practical guidance on implementing effective educational programs, the lack of social and cultural aspects that can affect the effectiveness of free education in community contexts, and the need to address regional differences and local contexts to improve the effectiveness of educational programs.

Response 18:Yes, we have carefully considered your suggestions and added more practical ones, thank you very much for your suggestions.

Lastly, I really appreciate the advice you have provided and it is with excitement that we learn from you, thanks!

 

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors took into account the comments and made the necessary changes to the manuscript. The manuscript is of scientific interest and is recommended for publication.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

• pay attention to several criteria: clarity, relevance, conciseness and conciseness, and describing the method and enjoyment. The choice of title is good. However, it can be considered for the selection of alternative titles, namely: a) Encouraging entrepreneurship through education: an analysis of compulsory education policies in developing regions in China; b) Expansion of compulsory education and entrepreneurship; explore relationships from county data in China; c) Entrepreneurship and education: An analysis of the impact of compulsory education policies in counties in China. (revision has been done)
• In the Background of the Problem section, the information is too general. It does not directly touch on specific aspects of education and entrepreneurship problems in developing countries, and concrete data on the region's education and entrepreneurship level are studied. (revision has been done)
• The urgency of research is crucial in social and economic contexts, focusing on improving free education and addressing global issues such as digitalization and economic transformation, which require relevant new tools. (revision has been done)
• The explanation of research gaps is that of under-examined abilities and decisions, which helps to identify relevant and specific aspects of the influence of education that have not been researched. (revision has been done)
• Novelty in research should include unique contributions, the use of data panels, and the integration of new theories of economic geography to provide a different understanding of education and entrepreneurship. (revision has been done)
• The research idea should be specific and provide a clear understanding of the proposed approach. The idea should include a well-formulated hypothesis, a well-designed methodology, and a well-structured research model. (revision has been done)
• Relevant research papers should be descriptive and well-integrated in the research context. Papers should be structured around relevant topics, such as education, economic issues, and local contexts. The paper should also identify key studies that demonstrate education's positive or negative impact on the economy, address the local context, and contextualize the research with the relevant Chinese context. (revision has been done)
• The explanation of the underlying theory is more detailed and precise, as well as how the theory is relevant to this research. Delve deeper into relevant economic theories, such as human capital and how education contributes to human capital development. (revision has been done)
• The Theoretical Background and educational model are based on a structured approach that may not be suitable for each subtopic, leading to confusion and potential conflict. Its key elements include a clear definition of education, a clear transition, and a clear understanding of the educational context. (revision has been done)
• Theoretical Background: The language in the text may be technical in nature and may require skilled translators. Key points include the use of more structured and clear language, as well as the use of clear and concise information to aid comprehension. (revision has been done)
• Theoretical Background and Model: Although citations provide context, some sources may not be well integrated into the discussion. Contextualize Citations: Use their relevance to the argument being made and the latest and relevant citations. (revision has been done)
• This article discusses the theoretical and model backgrounds, highlighting the relationship between the two and the empirical results of data analysis on previous topics. This article also emphasizes the importance of theoretical Background in research and research questions. (revision has been done)
• The explanation of consumption decisions may not be in-depth enough regarding how education affects consumer preferences and abilities. Input: Include more details on how education influences consumption decisions, mention knowledge improvement, provide real-life examples, and explain what is being done. (revision has been done)
• Education production decisions may focus on mathematical and theoretical aspects without providing practical implications. Key elements include contextualizing production decisions with factors that affect education, providing long-term production support, and visualizing data to show the impact of education on production. (revision has been done)
• This text discusses criticisms of empirical models, including a lack of general information about model implementation and variable selection and a lack of information about assumptions, suggesting improvements in providing more detailed information about the model's double differences. (revision has been done)
• Variable Declaration: 1) . Inconsistent Definition: There is a variable "DID" without sufficient explanation of the acronym. In the reader's context, this may not be familiar, which can be unclear; 2) Variable Control Details: Although there is no list or explanation, the control details are used in the analysis. (revision has been done)
• Key conclusions include criticism of the lack of specificity in the findings, generality in the research, improvements in quantitative data analysis and detailed explanations of the relationship between free education and regional economic activity. (revision has been done)
• The recommendations include a lack of practical guidance on implementing effective educational programs, the lack of social and cultural aspects that can affect the effectiveness of free education in community contexts, and the need to address regional differences and local contexts to improve the effectiveness of educational programs. (revision has been done)