Compulsory Class Attendance versus Autonomy

Arbeitspapier

Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education requires a solid grasp of the impact of student autonomy on learning. In this paper, we estimate the effect of an increased autonomy policy for higher-performing students on short- and longer-term school outcomes. We exploit an institutional setting with high demand for autonomy in randomly formed classrooms. Identification comes from a natural experiment that allowed higher-achieving students to miss 30 percent more classes without penalty. Using a difference-in-difference-in-differences approach, we find that allowing higher-achieving students to skip class more often improves their performance in high-stakes subjects and increases their university admission outcomes. Higher-achieving students in more academically diverse classrooms exerted more autonomy when allowed to.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 14559

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Returns to Education
• Subject: COVID-19 ; learning autonomy ; school attendance ; returns to education ; natural experiment

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Goulas, Sofoklis ; Griselda, Silvia ; Megalokonomou, Rigissa
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2021

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/245610
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET