Unintended consequences of rewards for student attendance: Results from a field experiment in Indian classrooms

Sujata Visaria, Rajeev Dehejia, Melody M. Chao and Anirban Mukhopadhyay
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Sujata Visaria and Sujata Visaria

Economics of Education Review, 2016, vol. 54, issue C, 173-184

Abstract: In an experiment in non-formal schools in Indian slums, a reward scheme for attending a target number of school days increased average attendance when the scheme was in place, but had heterogeneous effects after it was removed. Among students with high baseline attendance, the incentive had no effect on attendance after it was discontinued, and test scores were unaffected. Among students with low baseline attendance, the incentive lowered post-incentive attendance, and test scores decreased. For these students, the incentive was also associated with lower interest in school material and lower optimism and confidence about their ability. This suggests incentives might have unintended long-term consequences for the very students they are designed to help the most.

Keywords: Educational economics; Incentives; Attendance; Motivation; Experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 I25 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Working Paper: Unintended Consequences of Rewards for Student Attendance: Results from a Field Experiment in Indian Classrooms (2016)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:54:y:2016:i:c:p:173-184

DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2016.08.001

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