Does Class Size Affect Student 'Grit'? Evidence from a Randomised Experiment in Early Grades
The increasing recognition of non-cognitive skills has led many researchers to investigate how educational practices enhance these skills. In this paper, we focus on the non-cognitive skill known as 'grit', and we study the relation between class size and grit in early grades. Using data from follow-up surveys of Project STAR, we show that fourth-grade pupils who experienced small classes during early grades are 0.12 standard deviations higher in grit than their peers in regular classes. Sub-sample analysis reveals that particularly boys and non-white pupils increase their grit in smaller classes. We also show that grit matters, because half of the effect of smaller classes on test scores entirely operates through grit.
xii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Problem Statement 8 Purpose of the Study 10 Research Questions 11 Conceptual Framework 12 Significance of the Study 17 Methodology 18 Limitations of the Study 21 External Credibility 21 Role of the researcher 21 Participant selection 22 Internal Credibility 23 Reactivity 23 Researcher and observational biases 24 Illusory Correlation and Voluptuous Legitimation 24 Definition of Key Terms 25 Outline of Dissertation 30 Chapter 1: Introduction 30 Chapter 2: Literature Review 31 Chapter 3: Methodology 31 Chapter 4: Findings 32 Chapter 5: Discussion 32 Summary 33 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 35 Overview 35 Teacher Knowledge and Face-to-Face Training 35 Emerging Technologies and Staff Development 38