Primary Outcomes (explanation)
a) Student Learning outcomes
Standardized test score of English exams at the endline
Standardized test score of Mathematics exams at the endline
Notes on the construction of the test score outcomes:
Students’ learning will be measured using a standard assessment test based on the national curriculum of Bangladesh. There will be two tests, one each for English and Mathematics. To examine the effect of this treatment (IVR lessons and direct assistance) on learning outcomes, we will construct the outcome variable by standardizing the raw test score with respect to the mean and standard deviation of the control group. We will also standardize the baseline test scores with respect to the baseline control mean and standard deviation.
Unit of observation: Students
Data source(s): Assessment tests (Mathematics and English Test Scores)
b) Student Aspirations: Using a method like the one employed by Beaman et al. (2012)
and Bernard et al. (2014), we will estimate aspirations.
Unit of observation: Students
Data source(s): Baseline and endline surveys
c) Student hope: We will measure the hope of the participants by using the Hope Scale,
a 6-item self-report measure of students’ perceptions that their goals can be met (Snyder,
1994, Snyder, 2002). There are two categories of hope, with three specific items within each
category. The two categories are agency and pathways. We will construct three outcome
variables, agency, pathways and the overall hope score.
Unit of observation: Students
Data source(s): Baseline and endline surveys
d) Student time spent on exam preparation: Students' time investment preparing for the
exam will be measured by asking the following questions:
(a) How much time (hours) in various academic activities (i.e., reading, practising exam
questions, taking lessons from private tutors etc.) do you spend each week? Total hours
spent in various academic activities will be used as an outcome variable for student time
investment in academic activities.
(b) To what extent do you spend time on academic activities (5-point Likert-scale response;
‘none’ to ‘a great deal’)
Unit of observation: Minutes spent on exam preparation by each student
Data source(s): Baseline and endline surveys