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Nurturing Childhood Curiosity to Enhance Learning: Evidence from a Randomized Pedagogical Intervention

Author

Listed:
  • Sule Alan
  • Ipek Mumcu

Abstract

We evaluate a pedagogical intervention aimed at improving learning in elementary school children by fostering their curiosity. We test the effectiveness of the pedagogy using achievement scores and a novel measure of curiosity. The latter involves creating a sense of information deprivation and quantifying the urge to acquire information and retention ability. The intervention increases curiosity, knowledge retention, and science test scores, with the effects persisting into middle school years. It also leads to more information sharing and peer learning in the classroom. The evidence can help design better pedagogical tools to increase pupil engagement and the quality of learning.

Suggested Citation

  • Sule Alan & Ipek Mumcu, 2024. "Nurturing Childhood Curiosity to Enhance Learning: Evidence from a Randomized Pedagogical Intervention," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(4), pages 1173-1210, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:114:y:2024:i:4:p:1173-1210
    DOI: 10.1257/aer.20230084
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Etienne Dagorn & David Masclet & Thierry Penard, 2026. "Altruism, cooperativeness and academic achievement: a lab in the field experiment in French middle schools," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(1), pages 1-28, January.
    2. Wang, Stephanie W. & Camerer, Colin F., 2024. "Allocators are more prosocial when affected agents can visually eavesdrop," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    3. Pietro Biroli & Amalia Di Girolamo & Giuseppe Sorrenti & Maddalena Totarelli, 2025. "Talent Is Everywhere, Opportunity Is Not: Online Role Model Mentoring and Students’ Aspirations," CESifo Working Paper Series 12342, CESifo.
    4. Samuel Berlinski & Michele Giannola & Alessandro Toppeta, 2026. "Effective Families or Effective Schools? Experimental Evidence on Fostering Children’s Numeracy," CSEF Working Papers 781, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.
    5. Trani, Jean-Francois & Zhu, Yiqi & Bechara, Saria & Bakhshi, Parul & Kaplan, Ian & Babulal, Ganesh & Zha, Wenqing & Rawab, Hashim & Brown, Derek & Raghavan, Ramesh, 2025. "The impact of a participatory intervention to improve learning outcomes and reduce school-based discrimination and community stigma in primary rural schools of Afghanistan: A cluster control randomized trial," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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