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The impacts of same and opposite gender alumni speakers on interest in economics

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  • Patnaik, Arpita
  • Pauley, Gwyn
  • Venator, Joanna
  • Wiswall, Matthew

Abstract

This paper evaluates the impact of a series of male and female alumni speaker interventions in introductory microeconomics courses on student interest in economics. Using student-level transcript data, we estimate the effect of speakers in models which use untreated lectures as control groups, including professor and semester-year fixed effects and student-level covariates. Alumni speakers increase intermediate economics course take-up by 1.7–2.1 percentage points (9–12%). Students are more responsive to same-gender speakers, with male speakers increasing men’s course take-up by 36–38% and female speakers increasing women’s course take-up by 37–40% implying that the effect of alumni speakers is strongly gendered.

Suggested Citation

  • Patnaik, Arpita & Pauley, Gwyn & Venator, Joanna & Wiswall, Matthew, 2024. "The impacts of same and opposite gender alumni speakers on interest in economics," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:102:y:2024:i:c:s0272775724000736
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2024.102579
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    1. Todd Pugatch & Elizabeth Schroeder, 2024. "A simple nudge increases socioeconomic diversity in undergraduate Economics," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(1), pages 287-307, January.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Educational economics; College majors; Gender gaps; Role models;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A22 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Undergraduate
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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