Eric Bettinger

All Publications

• How Can We Inspire Nations of Learners? An Investigation of Growth Mindset and Challenge-Seeking in Two Countries AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST Rege, M., Hanselman, P., Solli, I., Dweck, C. S., Ludvigsen, S., Bettinger, E., Crosnoe, R., Muller, C., Walton, G., Duckworth, A., Yeager, D. S. 2021; 76 (5): 755-767

  Abstract

  Here we evaluate the potential for growth mindset interventions (that teach students that intellectual abilities can be developed) to inspire adolescents to be "learners"-that is, to seek out challenging learning experiences. In a previous analysis, the U.S. National Study of Learning Mindsets (NSLM) showed that a growth mindset could improve the grades of lower-achieving adolescents, and, in an exploratory analysis, increase enrollment in advanced math courses across achievement levels. Yet, the importance of being a "learner" in today's global economy requires clarification and replication of potential challenge-seeking effects, as well as an investigation of the school affordances that make intervention effects on challenge-seeking possible. To this end, the present article presents new analyses of the U.S. NSLM (N = 14,472) to (a) validate a standardized, behavioral measure of challenge-seeking (the "make-a-math worksheet" task), and (b) show that the growth mindset treatment increased challenge-seeking on this task. Second, a new experiment conducted with nearly all schools in 2 counties in Norway, the U-say experiment (N = 6,541), replicated the effects of the growth mindset intervention on the behavioral challenge-seeking task and on increased advanced math course-enrollment rates. Treated students took (and subsequently passed) advanced math at a higher rate. Critically, the U-say experiment provided the first direct evidence that a structural factor-school policies governing when and how students opt in to advanced math-can afford students the possibility of profiting from a growth mindset intervention or not. These results highlight the importance of motivational research that goes beyond grades or performance alone and focuses on challenge-seeking. The findings also call attention to the affordances of school contexts that interact with student motivation to promote better achievement and economic trajectories. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

  View details for DOI 10.1037/amp0000647

  View details for Web of Science ID 000718373900004

  View details for PubMedID 33180534

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8113339

• Virtual advising for high-achieving high school students ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION REVIEW Gurantz, O., Pender, M., Mabel, Z., Larson, C., Bettinger, E. 2020; 75

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.econedurev.2020.101974

  View details for Web of Science ID 000527962900015

• Online education platforms scale college STEM instruction with equivalent learning outcomes at lower cost. Science advances Chirikov, I., Semenova, T., Maloshonok, N., Bettinger, E., Kizilcec, R. F. 2020; 6 (15): eaay5324

  Abstract

  Meeting global demand for growing the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce requires solutions for the shortage of qualified instructors. We propose and evaluate a model for scaling up affordable access to effective STEM education through national online education platforms. These platforms allow resource-constrained higher education institutions to adopt online courses produced by the country's top universities and departments. A multisite randomized controlled trial tested this model with fully online and blended instruction modalities in Russia's online education platform. We find that online and blended instruction produce similar student learning outcomes as traditional in-person instruction at substantially lower costs. Adopting this model at scale reduces faculty compensation costs that can fund increases in STEM enrollment.

  View details for DOI 10.1126/sciadv.aay5324

  View details for PubMedID 32284995

• The Structure of Peers: The Impact of Peer Networks on Academic Achievement RESEARCH IN HIGHER EDUCATION Berthelon, M., Bettinger, E., Kruger, D. I., Montecinos-Pearce, A. 2019; 60 (7): 931–59

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s11162-018-09543-7

  View details for Web of Science ID 000487284500002

• College Guidance for All: A Randomized Experiment in Pre-College Advising JOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT Bettinger, E. P., Evans, B. J. 2019; 38 (3): 579-+

  View details for DOI 10.1002/pam.22133

  View details for Web of Science ID 000470934700004

• The Long-Run Impacts of Financial Aid: Evidence from California's Cal Grant AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-ECONOMIC POLICY Bettinger, E., Gurantz, O., Kawano, L., Sacerdote, B., Stevens, M. 2019; 11 (1): 64–94

  View details for DOI 10.1257/pol.20170466

  View details for Web of Science ID 000457197200003

• Mass Instruction or Higher Learning? The Impact of College Class Size on Student Retention and Graduation EDUCATION FINANCE AND POLICY Bettinger, E. P., Long, B. 2018; 13 (1): 97–118

  View details for DOI 10.1162/edfp_a_00221

  View details for Web of Science ID 000418839700005

• The Effect of Labor Market Information on Community College Students' Major Choice ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION REVIEW Baker, R., Bettinger, E., Jacob, B., Marinescu, I. 2018; 65: 18–30

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.econedurev.2018.05.005

  View details for Web of Science ID 000441683500002

• Increasing perseverance in math: Evidence from a field experiment in Norway JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR & ORGANIZATION Bettinger, E., Ludvigsen, S., Rege, M., Solli, I. F., Yeager, D. 2018; 146: 1–15

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jebo.2017.11.032

  View details for Web of Science ID 000426331300001

• Virtual Classrooms: How Online College Courses Affect Student Success AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW Bettinger, E. P., Fox, L., Loeb, S., Taylor, E. S. 2017; 107 (9): 2855-2875

  View details for DOI 10.1257/aer.20151193

  View details for Web of Science ID 000410774200011

• The effects of class size in online college courses: Experimental evidence ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION REVIEW Bettinger, E., Doss, C., Loeb, S., Rogers, A., Taylor, E. 2017; 58: 68–85

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.econedurev.2017.03.006

  View details for Web of Science ID 000403033300006

• Connections Matter: How Interactive Peers Affect Students in Online College Courses JOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT Bettinger, E., Liu, J., Loeb, S. 2016; 35 (4): 932-?

  View details for DOI 10.1002/pam.21932

  View details for Web of Science ID 000383668300010

• When inputs are outputs: The case of graduate student instructors ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION REVIEW Bettinger, E. P., Long, B. T., Taylor, E. S. 2016; 52: 63-76

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.econedurev.2016.01.005

  View details for Web of Science ID 000378459600005

• Special issue on Behavioral Economics of Education Introduction JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR & ORGANIZATION Bettinger, E., Nielsen, H., Schunk, D. 2015; 115: 1-2

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jebo.2015.04.009

  View details for Web of Science ID 000357240100001

• Need-Based Aid and College Persistence: The Effects of the Ohio College Opportunity Grant EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION AND POLICY ANALYSIS Bettinger, E. 2015; 37: 102S-119S

  View details for DOI 10.3102/0162373715576072

  View details for Web of Science ID 000353148000007

• Need-based aid and college persistence: The effects of the Ohio College Opportunity Grant Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis Bettinger, E. 2015; 37 (1_suppl): 102S-119S
• Home with Mom: The Effects of Stay-at-Home Parents on Children's Long-Run Educational Outcomes JOURNAL OF LABOR ECONOMICS Bettinger, E., Haegeland, T., Rege, M. 2014; 32 (3): 443-467

  View details for DOI 10.1086/675070

  View details for Web of Science ID 000340135100003

• The Effects of Student Coaching: An Evaluation of a Randomized Experiment in Student Advising EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION AND POLICY ANALYSIS Bettinger, E. P., Baker, R. B. 2014; 36 (1): 3-19

  View details for Web of Science ID 000332526400001

• The effects of student coaching: An evaluation of a randomized experiment in student advising Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis Bettinger, E. P., Baker, R. B. 2014; 36 (1): 3-19
• Home with mom: the effects of stay-at-home parents on children’s long-run educational outcomes Journal of Labor Economics Bettinger, E., Hægeland, T., Rege, M. 2014; 32 (3): 443-467
• Lessons learned from a data-driven college access program: The National College Advising Corps. New directions for youth development Horng, E. L., Evans, B. J., Antonio, A. L., Foster, J. D., Kalamkarian, H. S., Hurd, N. F., Bettinger, E. P. 2013; 2013 (140): 55-75

  Abstract

  This chapter discusses the collaboration between a national college access program, the National College Advising Corps (NCAC), and its research and evaluation team at Stanford University. NCAC is currently active in almost four hundred high schools and through the placement of a recent college graduate to serve as a college adviser provides necessary information and support for students who may find it difficult to navigate the complex college admission process. The advisers also conduct outreach to underclassmen in an effort to improve the school-wide college-going culture. Analyses include examination of both quantitative and qualitative data from numerous sources and partners with every level of the organization from the national office to individual high schools. The authors discuss balancing the pursuit of evaluation goals with academic scholarship. In an effort to benefit other programs seeking to form successful data-driven interventions, the authors provide explicit examples of the partnership and present several examples of how the program has benefited from the data gathered by the evaluation team.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/yd.20078

  View details for PubMedID 24474258

• Improving College Performance and Retention the Easy Way: Unpacking the ACT Exam AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-ECONOMIC POLICY Bettinger, E. P., Evans, B. J., Pope, D. G. 2013; 5 (2): 26-52

  View details for DOI 10.1257/pol.5.2.26

  View details for Web of Science ID 000318431900002

• Student Supports: Developmental Education and Other Academic Programs FUTURE OF CHILDREN Bettinger, E. P., Boatman, A., Long, B. T. 2013; 23 (1): 93-115

  Abstract

  Low rates of college completion are a major problem in the United States. Less than 60 percent of students at four-year colleges graduate within six years, and at some colleges, the graduation rate is less than 10 percent. Additionally, many students enter higher education ill-prepared to comprehend college-level course material. Some estimates suggest that only one-third of high school graduates finish ready for college work; the proportion is even lower among older students. Colleges have responded to the poor preparation of incoming students by placing approximately 35 to 40 percent of entering freshmen into remedial or developmental courses, along with providing academic supports such as summer bridge programs, learning communities, academic counseling, and tutoring, as well as student supports such as financial aid and child care. Eric Bettinger, Angela Boatman, and Bridget Terry Long describe the role, costs, and impact of these college remediation and academic support programs. According to a growing body of research, the effects of remedial courses are considerably nuanced. The courses appear to help or hinder students differently by state, institution, background, and academic preparedness. The mixed findings from earlier research have raised questions ranging from whether remedial programs, on average, improve student academic outcomes to which types of programs are most effective. Administrators, practitioners, and policy makers are responding by redesigning developmental courses and searching for ways to implement effective remediation programs more broadly. In addition, recent research suggests that colleges may be placing too many students into remedial courses unnecessarily, suggesting the need for further examining the placement processes used to assign students to remedial courses. The authors expand the scope of remediation research by discussing other promising areas of academic support commonly offered by colleges, including advising, tutoring, and mentoring programs, as well as supports that target the competing responsibilities of students, namely caring for dependents and balancing employment with schoolwork. They conclude that the limited resources of institutions and equally limited funds of students make it imperative for postsecondary institutions to improve student academic supports and other services.

  View details for Web of Science ID 000318477900005

• Improving college performance and retention the easy way: Unpacking the ACT exam American Economic Journal: Economic Policy Bettinger, E. P., Evans, B. J., Pope, D. G. 2013; 5 (2): 26-52
• Lessons learned from a data‐driven college access program: The National College Advising Corps New directions for youth development Horng, E. L., Evans, B. J., Antonio, A. L., Foster, J. D., Kalamkarian, H. S., Hurd, N. F., Bettinger, E. P. 2013; 2013 (140): 55-75
• The Role of Application Assistance and Information in College Decisions: Results from the H & R Block Fafsa Experiment QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS Bettinger, E. P., Long, B. T., Oreopoulos, P., Sanbonmatsu, L. 2012; 127 (3): 1205-1242

  View details for DOI 10.1093/qje/qjs017

  View details for Web of Science ID 000307835000004

• PAYING TO LEARN: THE EFFECT OF FINANCIAL INCENTIVES ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEST SCORES REVIEW OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS Bettinger, E. P. 2012; 94 (3): 686-698

  View details for Web of Science ID 000307127600006

• The role of simplification and information: Evidence from the FAFSA experiment Quarterly Journal of Economics Bettinger, E., Long, B., Oreopoulos, P., Sanbonmatsu, L. 2012; 123 (3): 1205-1242
• Financial Aid A Blunt Instrument for Increasing Degree Attainment GETTING TO GRADUATION: THE COMPLETION AGENDA IN HIGHER EDUCATION Bettinger, E., Kelly, A. P., Schneider, M. 2012: 157-174

  View details for Web of Science ID 000315724500007

• Educational Vouchers in International Contexts HANDBOOK OF THE ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION, VOL 4 Bettinger, E., Hanushek, E. A., Machin, S., Woessmann, L. 2011; 4: 551-572

  View details for Web of Science ID 000321956800009

• ARE EDUCATIONAL VOUCHERS ONLY REDISTRIBUTIVE? ECONOMIC JOURNAL Bettinger, E., Kremer, M., Saavedra, J. E. 2010; 120 (546): F204-F228

  View details for DOI 10.1111/j.1468-0297.2010.02374.x

  View details for Web of Science ID 000280126400003

• DOES CHEAPER MEAN BETTER? THE IMPACT OF USING ADJUNCT INSTRUCTORS ON STUDENT OUTCOMES REVIEW OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS Bettinger, E. P., Long, B. T. 2010; 92 (3): 598-613

  View details for Web of Science ID 000279729000012

• Addressing the Needs of Underprepared Students in Higher Education Does College Remediation Work? JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCES Bettinger, E. P., Long, B. T. 2009; 44 (3): 736-771

  View details for Web of Science ID 000267568400005

• Education Vouchers in Colombia EMERGING EVIDENCE ON VOUCHERS AND FAITH-BASED PROVIDERS IN EDUCATION: CASE STUDIES FROM AFRICA, LATIN AMERICA, AND ASIA Bettinger, E., Kremer, M., Saavedra, J. E., BarreraOsorio, F., Patrinos, H. A., Wodon, Q. 2009: 71-78

  View details for Web of Science ID 000305578700006