“The Causal Impact of Socio-Emotional Skills Training on Educational Success” by Dr. Ulf Zölitz
Wednesday, 4 September 2019 | 16:30 - 18:00
Room 910, K.K. Leung Building, HKU
Speaker:
Dr. Ulf Zölitz
Assistant Professor
Department of Economics
University of Zurich
Abstract:
We study the long-term effects of a randomized control trial targeting socio-emotional skills in 8-year-old primary school children. The teacher-run, school-based intervention running for up to two years leads to a persistent boost of educational careers that remains visible over a decade after the intervention. Treated children become 22 percent more likely to complete academic high school, the highest secondary school track in Switzerland, and are 20 percent more likely to be enrolled in university at age 20. Our analysis of mechanisms suggests that the intervention mainly affected externalizing behavior and reduced students impulsiveness and disruptiveness in the classroom.
