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Do colleges cultivate critical thinking, problem solving, writing and interpersonal skills?

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  • Saavedra, Anna Rosefsky
  • Saavedra, Juan Esteban

Abstract

We investigate how much value college enrollment adds to students’ critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills, and the role college inputs play in developing these competencies, using data from a 2009 collegiate assessment pilot study in Colombia. Relative to observationally similar first year students, students in their final year of college score about half of a standard deviation higher, with statistically significant higher scores on every individual component of the test. Sensitivity analyses indicate that results are robust to validity threats posed by selection bias. Students in private colleges exhibit significantly higher overall test score differences. Measures of college quality such as selectivity, rankings based on reputation, share of faculty with PhD, share of full-time faculty and expenditures per student, however, are not meaningfully associated with higher test score differences between last and first year students.

Suggested Citation

  • Saavedra, Anna Rosefsky & Saavedra, Juan Esteban, 2011. "Do colleges cultivate critical thinking, problem solving, writing and interpersonal skills?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 1516-1526.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:30:y:2011:i:6:p:1516-1526
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2011.08.006
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    Cited by:

    1. Cunha, Jesse M. & Miller, Trey, 2014. "Measuring value-added in higher education: Possibilities and limitations in the use of administrative data," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 64-77.
    2. Oleg Podolskiy & Dmitry Popov, 2014. "The First Assessment of Adult Competencies in Russia," Voprosy obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 2, pages 82-108.
    3. Ligia Alba Melo-Becerra & Jorge Enrique Ramos-Forero & Pedro Oswaldo Hernández-Santamaría, 2017. "La educación superior en Colombia: situación actual y análisis de eficiencia," Revista Desarrollo y Sociedad, Universidad de los Andes,Facultad de Economía, CEDE, vol. 78, February.
    4. Bacalhau, Priscilla & Mattos, Enlinson & Ponczek, Vladimir Pinheiro, 2019. "College quality signaling and individual performance: effects on labor market outcomes after graduation," Textos para discussão 502, FGV EESP - Escola de Economia de São Paulo, Fundação Getulio Vargas (Brazil).
    5. Schendel, Rebecca, 2015. "Critical thinking at Rwanda's public universities: Emerging evidence of a crucial development priority," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 96-105.
    6. Arlen Guarín & Sebastián Londoño & Carlos Medina & Julieth Parra & Christian Posso & Carlos Eduardo Vélez, 2016. "Estimating the Effect of Attending a Public versus a Private University in Colombia on Academic Achievement **** Una Estimación del Efecto sobre el Rendimiento Académico de Asistir a una Universidad P," Borradores de Economia 968, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    7. Balcázar, Carlos Felipe & Nopo, Hugo R., 2014. "Broken Gears: The Value Added of Higher Education on Teachers' Academic Achievement," IZA Discussion Papers 8477, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Milla, Joniada, 2017. "The Context-Bound University Selectivity Premium," IZA Discussion Papers 11025, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Jorge Alberto Valencia Cobo & José Alfredo Aparicio Serrano & Alexander Villegas Mendoza, 2020. "¿Qué tanto valor agregado aportan a sus estudiantes las universidades colombianas con los mejores resultados en las pruebas SABER PRO 2016-2018?," Documentos Departamento de Economía 20755, Universidad del Norte.
    10. Evan Riehl & Juan E. Saavedra & Miguel Urquiola, 2018. "Learning and Earning: An Approximation to College Value Added in Two Dimensions," NBER Chapters, in: Productivity in Higher Education, pages 105-132, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Human capital; Input–output analysis;

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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