Socio-emotional skills and climate education

Last registered on January 22, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Socio-emotional skills and climate education
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0017573
Initial registration date
January 12, 2026

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
January 22, 2026, 6:13 AM EST

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

Locations

Country
India
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Raisa Sherif
Affiliation
Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Ashutosh Bhuradia
PI Affiliation
Harvard University
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2025-10-10
End date
2026-01-31
Keywords
Behavior, Education, Environment & Energy
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study examines the effects of a classroom-based climate education curriculum on students’ understanding of air quality and related adaptation behaviors. Using a classroom-level randomized controlled trial across 95 classrooms in four Indian cities, Bangalore, Pune, Delhi, and Mumbai, approximately 3,305 students are assigned to either a climate-focused curriculum or a control. The intervention consists of three classroom sessions delivered by trained facilitators over four weeks. Outcomes are measured at endline and include survey-based indices of air pollution knowledge and awareness, as well as incentivized measures capturing information seeking behaviour and contributions to classroom-level air quality improvements.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Bhuradia, Ashutosh and Raisa Sherif. 2026. "Socio-emotional skills and climate education." AEA RCT Registry. January 22. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17573-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
A classroom-based climate education curriculum focused on air quality, incorporating structured activities intended to develop socio-emotional learning and curiosity among students.
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2025-11-17
Intervention End Date
2025-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Primary outcomes are measured at endline and include:
(i) air pollution knowledge and awareness index;
(ii) air pollution attitudes index;
(iii) information-seeking behavior, measured through a lab-in-the-field experimental task with QR codes distributed to the students; and
(iv) contributions to classroom air quality improvement, measured through a lab-in-the-field public goods contribution game.
The indices are constructed from survey responses, while behavioral outcomes are elicited through incentivized lab-in-the-field tasks administered at endline.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
(i) an air pollution behavior index based on self-report behavior
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The study uses a classroom-level randomized controlled trial. A total of 95 classrooms are randomly assigned to either a treatment or a control group, with 49 classrooms receiving the treatment and 46 serving as controls. The treatment group receives a climate education curriculum focused on air quality, delivered using curiosity and socio-emotional learning as core skill sets. The control group receives a curriculum focused on curiosity and socio-emotional learning without climate-related content.

The intervention consists of three classroom sessions delivered by trained external facilitators over a period of approximately four weeks. Curriculum content and materials are standardized across all classrooms. The study is implemented in schools across four Indian cities, Bangalore, Pune, Delhi, and Mumbai, with a total sample of approximately 3,305 students.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Computer
Randomization Unit
Classrooms
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
95 Classrooms, 46 in Control, 49 in Treatment
Sample size: planned number of observations
95 Classrooms, 3305 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
46 classrooms, 1668 students in Control
49 classrooms, 1637 students in Treatment
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Harvard University-Area Committee on the Use of Human Subjects
IRB Approval Date
2024-07-11
IRB Approval Number
IRB24-0762
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials