Perceived beliefs and Choice of Science vs. Arts: An Experiment in a Chinese Senior High School

Last registered on October 20, 2024

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Perceived beliefs and Choice of Science vs. Arts: An Experiment in a Chinese Senior High School
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0014223
Initial registration date
October 03, 2024

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
October 07, 2024, 7:19 PM EDT

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

Last updated
October 20, 2024, 1:04 AM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
University of Washington

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
UC Berkeley

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-07-01
End date
2026-05-30
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Students’ second-order beliefs about their parents and peers could affect their major educational decisions, particularly when they are uncertain about the potential returns of each option. We are conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with around 1000 Grade 10 students at one Chinese senior high school. By the end of Grade 10, these students will choose between pursuing a science or arts track for the remaining two years of senior high school – a decision that crucially influences their eligibility for specific college majors and future career paths. This RCT investigates how students’ second-order beliefs regarding their parents’ and peers’ biased views about gender and science aptitude influence this decision and their academic performance. The study begins with baseline surveys of students and their parents to assess the formation of students' perceived beliefs and to identify any misconceptions between students, their peers, and their parents. Following this, the study implements an intervention wherein accurate information about peer and parental beliefs, as well as potential returns of each option, is provided to students in the treatment group. The RCT will evaluate whether this intervention influences students' academic performance and their subsequent academic decisions.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Di, Aurelia and Zhe Liu. 2024. "Perceived beliefs and Choice of Science vs. Arts: An Experiment in a Chinese Senior High School." AEA RCT Registry. October 20. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.14223-1.2
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention is an information treatment about the student test scores by gender, the actual beliefs of their classmates and their parents.
Intervention Start Date
2025-11-01
Intervention End Date
2025-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
test scores, choice of Arts versus Science track, belief about gender suitability for Science and Arts tracks, perceptions of peer and parent values
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
parental aspirations and expectations for students, students' mental health
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This study employs a clustered randomized controlled trial (RCT) with senior high school students in China. Participants are randomly assigned to either a treatment or control group. Baseline surveys are conducted with students and their parents to assess students' own beliefs and perceived peer and parental beliefs about gender and science aptitude. The treatment group receives an intervention where accurate information about these beliefs and associated academic outcomes is revealed. The control group does not receive this information. The study then measures the impact of the intervention on students' academic performance and subsequent academic choices.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Utilize the online survey platform.
Randomization Unit
Class level.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
17 classes.
Sample size: planned number of observations
No more than 1000.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
500 students or 8-9 classes in the treatment group, 500 students or 8-9 classes in the control group.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Washington
IRB Approval Date
2024-10-15
IRB Approval Number
STUDY00021098
Analysis Plan

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