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Promoting parental engagement in education: Experimental evidence from Uganda

Author

Listed:
  • Kjetil Bjorvatn

    (NHH)

  • Selim Gulesci

    (Department of Economics, Trinity College Dublin)

  • Arne Nasgowitz

    (NHH)

  • Vincent Somville

    (NHH)

  • Lore Vandewalle

    (KU Leuven)

Abstract

Can increased parental engagement in education improve children's schooling and learning outcomes in low-income countries? We present experimental evidence from Uganda where mothers of primary school students were randomly offered educational materials and an action plan aligned with the school curriculum in order to support their children's homework. The intervention increased the amount of time mothers spent studying with their children. It also improved children's likelihood to register for their end-of-term school exams which require households to pay a registration fee. Despite these improvements in parental engagement, we find no impact on children's performance in standardized tests. Our findings underscore both the promise and the limits of parental engagement, pointing to the need for complementary strategies to improve children's learning.

Suggested Citation

  • Kjetil Bjorvatn & Selim Gulesci & Arne Nasgowitz & Vincent Somville & Lore Vandewalle, 2025. "Promoting parental engagement in education: Experimental evidence from Uganda," Trinity Economics Papers tep1925, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tcd:tcduee:tep1925
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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