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A scalable goal-setting intervention closes both the gender and ethnic minority achievement gap

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  • Michaéla C Schippers

    (Department of Technology &Operations Management, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Ad W A Scheepers

    (Educational Office, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Jordan B Peterson

    (Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto Canada)

Abstract

The gender and ethnicity gap in academic achievement constitutes one of today’s key social problems. The current study, therefore, assessed the effects of a brief, evidence-based online intervention aimed at enhancing goal-directed conceptualization and action among first year college students (N=703) at a large European business school. The academic performance of these students was contrasted with that of three pre-intervention control cohorts (N=896, 825 and 720), with particular attention paid to the role of gender and ethnicity. The intervention boosted academic achievement and increased retention rates, particularly for ethnic minority and male students (who had underperformed in previous years). The gap in performance between men and women, and for ethnic minorities versus nationals, became considerably smaller within the intervention cohort. After Year 1, the gender gap closed by 98%, and the ethnicity gap by 38% (rising to 93% after the second year). All groups in the intervention cohort performed significantly better than control cohorts, but the effect was particularly large for males and ethnic minorities. The increase in performance was largest for ethnic minority males: they earned 44% more credits, and their retention rate increased 54%. Overall, the results indicate that a comprehensive goal-setting intervention implemented early in students’ academic careers can significantly and substantially reduce gender and ethnic minority inequalities in achievement.

Suggested Citation

  • Michaéla C Schippers & Ad W A Scheepers & Jordan B Peterson, 2015. "A scalable goal-setting intervention closes both the gender and ethnic minority achievement gap," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 1(palcomms2), pages 15014-15014, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:2015:y:2015:i:palcomms201514:p:15014-
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Cavalletti, Barbara & Corsi, Matteo & Persico, Luca & di Bella, Enrico, 2021. "Public university orientation for high-school students. A quasi-experimental assessment of the efficiency gains from nudging better career choices," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    2. Damgaard, Mette Trier & Nielsen, Helena Skyt, 2018. "Nudging in education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 313-342.
    3. Nicholas A. Wright & Puneet Arora & Jesse Wright, 2024. "I Promise to Work Hard: The Impact of a Non-Binding Commitment Pledge on Academic Performance," Working Papers 2411, Florida International University, Department of Economics.
    4. Anne-Roos Verbree & Lisette Hornstra & Lientje Maas & Leoniek Wijngaards-de Meij, 2023. "Conscientiousness as a Predictor of the Gender Gap in Academic Achievement," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 64(3), pages 451-472, May.
    5. de Jong, E.M. & Ziegler, N. & Schippers, M.C., 2020. "From Shattered Goals to Meaning in Life: Life Crafting in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2020-008-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    6. Schippers, M.C., 2017. "IKIGAI: Reflection on Life Goals Optimizes Performance and Happiness," ERIM Inaugural Address Series Research in Management EIA-2017-070-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam..
    7. Buerger, Christian & Lincove, Jane Arnold & Mata, Catherine, 2023. "How context shapes the relationship between school autonomy and test-scores. An explanatory analysis using PISA 2015," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    8. Gershoni, Naomi & Stryjan, Miri, 2023. "Do Deadlines Affect Project Completion? Experimental Evidence from Israeli Vocational Colleges," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 359-375.
    9. van Lent, Max & Souverijn, Michiel, 2020. "Goal setting and raising the bar: A field experiment," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    10. Max van Lent & Michiel Souverijn, 2017. "Goal Setting and Raising the Bar: A Field Experiment," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 17-001/VII, Tinbergen Institute.

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