Information and choice of A‐level subjects: A cluster randomised controlled trial with linked administrative data

Abstract

We estimated the effects of an intervention which provided information about graduate wages to 5593 students in England, using a blinded cluster randomised controlled trial in 50 schools (registration: AEARCTR‐0000468). Our primary outcome was students’ choice of A‐level subjects at age 16. We also recorded the students’ expectations of future wages and the A‐level subjects they intended to take before and after the intervention, and linked their data into national administrative school examination records. We found that an hour‐long lesson on information about graduate wages affected students’ beliefs about and choice of subject. They were more likely to take mathematics and less likely to take biology and computing. We found strong evidence that mediating factors such as their beliefs about average graduate salaries and their own likely salary in each subject were affected by the intervention. This suggests that providing accessible and credible information on labour market consequences of school choices may influence students’ decisions. In the light of concerns about the quality of careers guidance for school students and expectations that educational choices should be well‐informed, the study has clear implications for policy and practice.

Gender differences in the choice of field of study and the relevance of income information. Insights from a field experiment

“…They mostly provide information on the costs of, and returns to, different kinds of education and test its effect on HE intentions and decisions (e.g., Barone, Schizzerotto, Abbiati, & Argentin, 2017;McGuigan et al, 2016;Oreopoulos & Dunn, 2013). Although some studies also look at the impact of information on major choices (Barone et al, 2019;Hastings et al, 2015;Kerr et al, 2015;Wiswall & Zafar, 2015a, b; for A-level choices see Davies et al, 2017), most of them do not differentiate their analysis by gender.…”

“…Research has shown that students often have incorrect expectations about income returns to higher education (HE) (e.g., Hastings, Neilson, & Zimmermann, 2015;Oreopoulos & Dunn, 2013). Correspondingly, experimental research shows that providing detailed information on various, often monetary outcomes "nudges" students to make better informed and thus partly different educational choices (e.g., Davies, Davies, & Qiu, 2017;Domina, 2009;Hastings et al, 2015;McGuigan, McNally, & Wyness, 2016). Even though evidence is inconsistent (see Herbaut & Geven, 2019 for a review), some studies reveal that additional financial information on HE especially increases the college intentions, applications, or attendance of students from socially disadvantaged families (or from broader disadvantaged contexts) (e.g., Loyalka, Song, Wei, Zhong, & Rozelle, 2013;Oreopoulos & Dunn, 2013;.…”