Do role models increase student hope and effort? Evidence from India

Prateek Chandra Bhan

Working Papers from Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow

Abstract: This paper offers experimental evidence on the significance of role-models on fostering hope, increasing effort and improving the academic performance of primary school students in India. Students from private schools were individually randomised to a treatment or a placebo group. Treated students watch a short film produced as a part of the experiment in Jaipur, Rajasthan - the study location. The placebo group students watch a television show for kids, 'Malgudi Days'. I find a 0.17 standard deviation (s.d.) increase in student hope and 0.25 s.d increase in their effort, immediately after the intervention. The one-off treatment leads to a 0.16 s.d. increase on standardised test scores in English, six-weeks after the intervention. Along with hope, I find significant improvements in students' self-efficacy or optimism and happiness. A cost-effectiveness analysis highlights role-models as a promising treatment intervention tool that can have an effect on student motivation and their learning outcomes.

Keywords: Role models; hope; effort; education; primary school; India. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 I25 J24 O12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-exp and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gla:glaewp:2021_01

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