Impact Evaluation of Life Skills and Financial Education Program in Maharashtra, India

Last registered on July 20, 2023
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Impact Evaluation of Life Skills and Financial Education Program in Maharashtra, India
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0011796
Initial registration date
July 18, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
July 20, 2023, 5:22 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Tomohisa Miyamoto
Affiliation
Aflatoun International
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Joost de Laat
PI Affiliation
Faculty of Law, Economics, and Governance & Utrecht University School of Economics
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Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2023-06-27
End date
2024-04-30
Keywords
Behavior, Education, Gender, Labor
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
D63, D91, I21, J15
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Life skills education and financial education are increasingly implemented to equip school-aged children with skills and competencies that are relevant to their life. How does the design of the program, especially the intensity, relate to the effectiveness of the program? Can such a program that facilitates self-awareness and future planning improve the self-confidence and aspirations of youths from marginalized backgrounds? This study will evaluate the impact of a life skills and financial education program in a district in Maharashtra, India, where many children come from historically marginalized backgrounds. We designed a randomized experiment with two treatment arms, differing by intensity (school-based program vs. school-based program with parental engagement.). Further, two priming experiments will be employed to measure if their gender and caste status constrains the participants’ self-confidence and aspirations. The purpose of this research is to determine effective strategies for addressing gaps in students’ non-academic skills, aiming to enhance long-term economic outcomes as well as psychological well-being.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
de Laat, Joost and Tomohisa Miyamoto. 2023. "Impact Evaluation of Life Skills and Financial Education Program in Maharashtra, India." AEA RCT Registry. July 20. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.11796-1.0
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The study assesses the impact of school-based life skills and financial education program, and associated sessions for parents. The school-based intervention consists of 15 active learning sessions led by NGO staff and targets 6th grade students. The intervention focuses on enhancing children's context relevant life skills, with special focus on confidence and aspiration, as well as age-appropriate financial competencies.
Intervention Start Date
2023-08-01
Intervention End Date
2024-03-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Confidence, future aspiration, financial competecies, problem solving, communication skill, participation, empathy
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Confidence consists of confidence to perform relative to others, interpersonal confidence, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Future aspiration includes educational aspiration, income aspiration, career aspiration, and marriage expectation. Financial competencies consist of financial knowledge, financial savviness, and saving behaviors.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Time preference, academic test score
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Our study sample includes 2700 children in 6th grade (11-13 years old) from 90 schools in Maharashtra, India. After the baseline data collection, the schools will be randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups or the control group, with an equal chance of selection. Students in the first intervention group (low-intensity arm) will participate in the school-based program only. In the second intervention group, students will participate in the school-based program identical to the first group. In addition, all of their parents/caregivers will be offered participation in the community engagement program. Students selected into the two intervention groups will participate in the school-based program in the school year 2023/2024. Schools in the control group will receive no intervention until end-line data collection (approx. eight months after baseline) but will be offered the program in the school year 2024/2025.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization is conducted in office by a computer using Stata software.
Randomization Unit
The study employs cluster randomization at school level.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
90 schools
Sample size: planned number of observations
2700 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
30 schools in low-intensity arm, 30 schools in high-intensity arm, 30 schools in control group.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
DAI Research & Advisory Services Pvt Ltd. Human Subjects Committee
IRB Approval Date
2023-06-26
IRB Approval Number
N/A
Analysis Plan