The Making of Civic Virtues: A School-Based Experiment in Three Countries †

Simon Briole (), Marc Gurgand (), Eric Maurin, Sandra Mcnally (), Jenifer Ruiz-Valenzuela and Daniel Santín ()
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Simon Briole: CEE-M - Centre d'Economie de l'Environnement - Montpellier - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier
Marc Gurgand: PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris
Sandra Mcnally: UNIS - University of Surrey
Jenifer Ruiz-Valenzuela: UB - Universitat de Barcelona
Daniel Santín: UCM - Universidad Complutense de Madrid = Complutense University of Madrid [Madrid]

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Abstract: This paper shows that schools can foster the transmission of civic virtues by helping students to develop concrete, democratically chosen, collective projects. We draw on an RCT implemented in 200 middle schools in three countries. The program leads students to conduct citizenship projects in their communities under the supervision of teachers trained in the intervention. The intervention caused a decline in absenteeism and disciplinary sanctions at school, alongside improved academic achievement. It also led students to diversify their friendship network. The program has stronger effects when implemented by teachers who are initially more involved in the life of the school.

Keywords: citizenship; education; teaching practices; project-based learning; RCT; youth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Published in American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2025, 17 (3), pp.496-521. ⟨10.1257/pol.20230612⟩

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Working Paper: The Making of Civic Virtues: A School-Based Experiment in Three Countries † (2025)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:pseptp:hal-05544282

DOI: 10.1257/pol.20230612

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