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Arid Land Geography ›› 2023, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (11): 1879-1890.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2022.619

• Regional Development • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatial distribution, type structure and influencing factors of popular science education bases in China

MA Xiaomin(),ZHANG Zhibin(),GUO Qianqian,WU Zhixiang,FENG Xueli   

  1. College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
  • Received:2022-11-25 Revised:2023-01-05 Online:2023-11-25 Published:2023-12-05

Abstract:

In a comprehensive study conducted in 2022, 798 popular science education bases issued by the China Association for Science and Technology took center stage as the research object in this investigation. Using a multifaceted analytical approach, this study delved into the intricate spatial dynamics and typological structure of these educational establishments. The methods employed included the average nearest neighbor index, nuclear density analysis, and unbalanced index. Furthermore, this study probed the factors influencing the spatial distribution pattern of popular science education bases in China, by leveraging geographic detection and superposition analysis. This research showed important findings: (1) The spatial distribution of popular science education bases in China is uneven and clustered. The high-density clusters are mainly concentrated areas with good economic foundations and high market openness in the east, such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta regions. In contrast, the central and western regions exhibited low-density clusters centered around provincial capitals. (2) When examining the typology of these education bases, science and technology venues accounted for the highest proportion, showing the spatial characteristics of “dual-core and multipoint.” In contrast, “agriculture, rural areas, and farmers” popular science education bases had the lowest proportion, showing the spatial structure of “one belt and multipoint.” All types of popular science education bases exhibited unique spatial differentiation patterns. (3) The spatial distribution of these education bases was affected by a combination of human factors, such as social economy, traffic conditions, education level, scenic spot resources, and policy systems, and natural environmental factors, such as elevation and rivers. These research results have substantial implications for optimizing the spatial layout of popular science education bases in China and promoting the efficient use of popular science resources.

Key words: popular science education base, spatial pattern, type structure, influencing factors, geographic detector