Early Prevention of Dropout from Higher Education (PraeventAbb)

Last registered on March 23, 2018
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Early Prevention of Dropout from Higher Education (PraeventAbb)
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0002805
Initial registration date
March 23, 2018

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
March 23, 2018, 10:49 AM EDT

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

Locations

Country
Germany
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Lukas Fervers
Affiliation
University of Cologne, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Joachim Piepenburg
PI Affiliation
Cologne Graduate School/University of Cologne
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Janina Beckmann
PI Affiliation
University of Cologne
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Marita Jacob
PI Affiliation
University of Cologne
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2018-03-24
End date
2021-06-30
Keywords
Education, Labor, Welfare
Additional Keywords
field experiments, growth-mindset, study counselling, education economics
JEL code(s)
I23, I24, I21, C21, C93, J08
Secondary IDs
Abstract
In this study, we will evaluate a study guidance intervention for secondary school students aimed at reducing drop-out from tertiary education by tackling information deficits concerning suitable study programs as well as fostering academic self-efficacy and developing a growth-mind-set. Professional study counselors will deliver the intervention within an intensive one-day study guidance workshop. We will implement a randomized trial at the individual level and study the effects of the workshop on incremental beliefs of intelligence/ability, self-efficacy, study intentions and study choice as well as on academic achievement and drop out from tertiary education. The empirical analysis will be based on experimental data gathered immediately before the intervention and at different time points after the intervention for up to three years.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Beckmann, Janina et al. 2018. "Early Prevention of Dropout from Higher Education (PraeventAbb)." AEA RCT Registry. March 23. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.2805-1.0
Former Citation
Beckmann, Janina et al. 2018. "Early Prevention of Dropout from Higher Education (PraeventAbb)." AEA RCT Registry. March 23. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/2805/history/27112
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention consists of a one-day study-counseling workshop led by professional study counselors in the region of Cologne and Düsseldorf, Germany. Sample: students that will graduate from secondary school in the school year 2018/2019.

The intervention comprises multiple components:

1) Self-assessment of abilities, interests and life values
2) Providing information on study fields and promoting independent information-seeking
3) conveying the idea of a growth mindset and fostering academic self-efficacy
Intervention Start Date
2018-03-24
Intervention End Date
2018-10-28

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
In secondary school: academic self-efficacy, incremental beliefs about intelligence/ability, study intentions, grades, career decision self-efficacy, study-specific self-efficacy


In higher education: academic achievement and engagement, study program satisfaction, (intention to) drop-out of tertiary education
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We employ a field-experiment with pre-post design. Participants are randomly assigned to treatment and control group immediately after they have registered for the trial and completed the first survey (pre-treatment information).
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
We employ a simple randomization which implemented directly in the survey tool (Qualtrics).
Randomization Unit
individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
50 workshops, 100 schools
Sample size: planned number of observations
1,200 pupils
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
480 pupils in treatment group, 720 pupils 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
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
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