Occupational aspirations and investments in education: Experimental evidence from Cambodia

Abstract

We analyze whether an interest exploration tool, combined with information about potential careers, paths to higher education and ?financing options can provide guidance to students in rural Cambodia, help them develop long-term career goals and thereby motivate them to continue with school. We target the intervention to adolescents in grade 9, who are about to decide whether to enroll in high school. The intervention was conducted just before schools were closedfor a period of six months due to COVID-19. We use survey data, as well as individual-level administrative data obtained from treatment and control schools to track educational decisions during and after school closure. Our fi?ndings suggest that the intervention if at all reduced educational investments. We fi?nd these effects are driven by low-performing students. Students that ranked in the lower half of their class prior to the intervention are less likely to study during school closure, perform worse in the ?final exam and are less likely to transition to high school. Studying potential underlying mechanisms, our analyses suggest that our intervention made low-performing students aware of alternative career paths and more realistic in their expectations.