Fuente: Sustainability - Revista científica (MDPI) Sustainability, Vol. 18, Pages 5627: Spatial and Gender Dynamics of Educational Inequality Across Regions in Türkiye
Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su18115627
Authors:
Burcu İmren Güzel

This study examines the spatial and temporal transformation of educational attainment and gender-based disparities in Türkiye between 2008 and 2024. Using province-level data obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), educational attainment is classified into four categories (no schooling, low, medium, and high) and analyzed through spatial analysis techniques and an initial level–change relationship approach. Gender differences are evaluated by considering both their direction and magnitude across educational categories. The findings reveal a substantial educational transformation characterized by significant declines in no-schooling and low educational attainment levels, alongside marked increases in medium and high educational attainment. However, these improvements are not spatially balanced, as persistent regional disparities and spatial clustering patterns continue, particularly in eastern and southeastern regions of the country. The results further indicate that gender-based disparities vary across educational levels. Women remain more concentrated in lower educational categories, whereas men continue to dominate medium and high educational attainment levels in many regions. Although convergence tendencies are observed in lower educational levels, divergence dynamics at higher educational levels suggest that spatial advantages continue to shape educational outcomes unevenly across regions. These findings indicate that educational expansion does not necessarily produce equal outcomes but rather reshapes spatial and social differences over time. From a sustainability perspective, the findings highlight that educational transformation should be evaluated not only through improvements in educational indicators, but also in relation to human capital accumulation, regional development capacity, and inclusive development processes. In this respect, the study emphasizes the importance of place-based and gender-responsive educational policies aimed at reducing regional disparities, strengthening equal opportunities, and supporting more inclusive regional development.