Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP8625
Authors: Yann Algan; Pierre Cahuc; Andrei Shleifer
Abstract: We use several data sets to consider the effect of teaching practices on student beliefs, as well as on organization of firms and institutions. In cross-country data, we show that teaching practices (such as copying from the board versus working on projects together) are strongly related to various dimensions of social capital, from beliefs in cooperation to institutional outcomes. We then use micro-data to investigate the influence of teaching practices on student beliefs about cooperation and students? involvement in civic life. A two-stage least square strategy provides evidence that teaching practices have an independent sizeable effect on student social capital. The relationship between teaching practices and student test performance is nonlinear. The evidence supports the idea that progressive education promotes social capital.
Keywords: Education; Social Capital; Teaching Practices
JEL Codes: I2; Z1
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Horizontal teaching methods (C90) | Social capital (Z13) |
| Vertical teaching methods (A23) | Social capital (Z13) |
| Teaching practices (A21) | Student social capital (I24) |
| Teaching practices (A21) | Student beliefs about cooperation (C71) |
| Teaching practices (A21) | Student beliefs about trust in institutions (I23) |
| Teaching practices (A21) | Student beliefs about civic participation (K16) |
| Increase in the share of students who always take notes from the board (D29) | Decrease in belief in cooperation among students (D29) |