Seminar: Ingo Outes-Leon (Blavatnik School of Government)

Title: Growth mindset at scale: Increasing school attainment in Peru

Abstract: Promoting skill development for disadvantaged groups is a mechanism to help eradicate poverty and unlock prosperity in a developing country context. Recent experimental psychology studies from the US, have shown that small, context-sensitive psychosocial stimulations aimed at influencing students’ mindset can have large effects on educational outcomes, among vulnerable groups in particular. We develop a cost-effective, scalable and replicable ‘growth mindset’ intervention (the GYM - Grow Your Mind tool) designed to raise motivation and aspiration of secondary school children. We randomly introduced GYM across 800 secondary schools in Peru and find increased Mathematics test-scores (by 11-24% s.d.), and higher pupil aspirations 2-months after the intervention. In a 14-month follow-up we find that impacts are sustained in Maths and that Reading scores are also significant improved. Furthermore, GYM reduces education inequalities: largest improvements are achieved by low ability students. At just 0.2$ per pupil, GYM sessions hold the promise of a highly cost-effective and scalable educational remediation tool.