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Learning about Oneself: The Effects of Performance Feedback on School Choice

Author

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  • Bobba, Matteo

    (Toulouse School of Economics)

  • Frisancho, Veronica

    (Inter-American Development Bank)

Abstract

We design and implement a field experiment that provides students from less advantaged backgrounds with individualized feedback on academic performance during the transition from middle to high school. The intervention reduces the gap between expected and actual performance, as well as shrinks the variance of the individual belief distributions. Guided by a simple Bayesian model, we empirically document the interplay between variance reductions and mean changes of beliefs about students' own academic ability in shaping curricular choices. The shift in revealed preferences over high school tracks enabled by the intervention affects schooling trajectories, with better performing students being assigned into more academically oriented options.

Suggested Citation

  • Bobba, Matteo & Frisancho, Veronica, 2016. "Learning about Oneself: The Effects of Performance Feedback on School Choice," IZA Discussion Papers 10360, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp10360
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    Cited by:

    1. Florent Bédécarrats & Isabelle Guérin & François Roubaud, 2019. "All that Glitters is not Gold. The Political Economy of Randomized Evaluations in Development," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 50(3), pages 735-762, May.
    2. Florent BEDECARRATS & Isabelle GUERIN & François ROUBAUD, 2017. "L'étalon-or des évaluations randomisées : économie politique des expérimentations aléatoires dans le domaine du développement," Working Paper 753120cd-506f-4c5f-80ed-7, Agence française de développement.
    3. Damgaard, Mette Trier & Nielsen, Helena Skyt, 2018. "Nudging in education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 313-342.
    4. Benjamin Elsner & Ingo E Isphording & Ulf Zölitz, 2021. "Achievement Rank Affects Performance and Major Choices in College [Gender, competitiveness, and socialization at a young age: evidence from a matrilineal and a patriarchal society]," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(640), pages 3182-3206.
    5. Isabelle Nocus & Philipe Guimard and Agnès Florin, 2017. "Evaluation of the « Ecole et langues nationales en Afrique » program: Methodological Aspects and Interim Assessment," Working Paper c18af23f-0bf0-4bc8-9ea5-f, Agence française de développement.
    6. Sean P. Corcoran & Jennifer L. Jennings & Sarah R. Cohodes & Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj, 2018. "Leveling the Playing Field for High School Choice: Results from a Field Experiment of Informational Interventions," NBER Working Papers 24471, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Ciro Avitabiley & Matteo Bobba and Marco Pariguanax, 2017. "High School Track Choice and Liquidity Constraints: Evidence from Urban Mexico," Working Paper 0195be34-77f6-4879-a68d-e, Agence française de développement.
    8. Ersoy, Fulya, 2023. "Effects of perceived productivity on study effort: Evidence from a field experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 207(C), pages 376-391.
    9. La Ferrara, Eliana & Carlana, Michela & Pinotti, Paolo, 2017. "Goals and Gaps: Educational Careers of Immigrant Children," CEPR Discussion Papers 12538, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. Fleitas, Sebastián, 2018. "Who benefits when inertia is reduced? Competition, quality and returns to skill in health care markets," Research Department working papers 1161, CAF Development Bank Of Latinamerica.
    11. Bonilla-Mejía, Leonardo & Bottan, Nicolas L. & Ham, Andrés, 2019. "Information policies and higher education choices experimental evidence from Colombia," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    12. Goulas, Sofoklis & Griselda, Silvia & Megalokonomou, Rigissa, 2020. "Comparative Advantage and Gender Gap in STEM," IZA Discussion Papers 13313, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Avitabile, Ciro & Bobba, Matteo & Pariguana, Marco, 2017. "High School Track Choice and Liquidity Constraints: Evidence from Urban Mexico," IZA Discussion Papers 10506, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Arthuer Bauer, 2017. "Redistributive Programs’ Implementation: Do Political Incentives Matter ?," Working Paper 35992a1b-607f-43ad-baa0-1, Agence française de développement.
    15. Rohen d’Aiglepierre & Arthur Bauer, 2017. "Teacher training based on the results of research on their actual practices in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa: The OPERA project in Burkina Faso, issues and challenges," Working Paper cacf7616-2ec5-4da2-93df-8, Agence française de développement.
    16. Chen, Li & Sebastián Pereyra, Juan, 2019. "Self-selection in school choice," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 59-81.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    biased beliefs; Bayesian updating; information; school choice;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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