Working Paper: NBER ID: w27513
Authors: Eric V. Edmonds; Benjamin Feigenberg; Jessica Leight
Abstract: Can life skills be taught in early adolescence? Using a clustered randomized control trial, this study analyzes the impact of a school-based life skills intervention in grades six and seven within a sample of 2,459 girls in Rajasthan, India. Our evidence suggests that the intervention is successful in developing stronger life skills including increased agency, more equitable gender norms, and stronger socio-emotional support. Girls also drop out of school at a lower rate: we observe an approximately 25 percent decline in dropout that persists from seventh grade through the transition to high school.
Keywords: life skills; adolescent girls; randomized controlled trial; education; gender norms
JEL Codes: I25; J16; O15
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Girls Education Program (GEP) (I24) | life skills improvements (G53) |
| Girls Education Program (GEP) (I24) | school dropout rates reduction (I21) |
| Girls Education Program (GEP) (I24) | future planning enhancement (O29) |
| Girls Education Program (GEP) (I24) | social engagement increase (Z13) |
| Girls Education Program (GEP) (I24) | no meaningful changes in academic performance (D29) |
| Girls Education Program (GEP) (I24) | no meaningful changes in attendance (D29) |
| Girls Education Program (GEP) (I24) | no meaningful changes in cognitive skills (I25) |