Project title: Towards a better understanding of the development of non-cognitive skills in children: Malleability, sensitive periods, typical trajectories, and the role of family background

Contact person and organization: Professor Hannah Schildberg-Hörisch, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany

Project timeline: 2018 – 2020

Project description:

Non-cognitive skills are key predictors of central life outcomes such as educational attainment, job performance, earnings, health outcomes, and participation in risky behaviors. However, despite their fundamental importance, we know surprisingly little about how non-cognitive skills form. Given the importance of non-cognitive skills in shaping central life outcomes, advancing our understanding of the basic elements that influence the formation of non-cognitive skills is crucial. This project aims at providing a more complete picture of the formation of non-cognitive skills via a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program.

Research design and data collection:

The project involves a randomized controlled trial conducted in about 140 public primary schools. At the core of the research design is to deliver a SEL program to students and measure their non-cognitive skills prior to the intervention as well as after the intervention is completed. The data collection involves multiple rounds of incentivized experiments with children and their parents, and measurements of their both cognitive skills, survey data collection of individuals and households, villages and schools. 

Results and policy lessons

The result is private to the client.

1. Survey Name: Household Cognitive Survey-2020

Survey Details:
Survey districts:

• In 4 upazilas of Netrakona district
• In 2 upazilas of Chandpur district
• In 3 upazilas of Gopalganj district
• In 2 upazilas of Sunamganj district

Survey sample:

• Cognitive survey sample- 4800 HH
• For the cognitive survey individual household member survey 16000 HHM

Survey Name: COVID-19 End-line Village Survey-2020

Survey Details:
Survey districts:

• In 4 upazilas of Netrakona district
• In 2 upazilas of Chandpur district
• In 3 upazilas of Gopalganj district
• In 2 upazilas of Sunamganj district

Survey sample:
• Village Info sample- 150 Prominent people of the village

Survey Name: COVID-19 Household Survey [2nd]-2020

Survey Details:
Survey districts:

• In 4 upazilas of Netrakona district
• In 2 upazilas of Chandpur district
• In 3 upazilas of Gopalganj district
• In 2 upazilas of Sunamganj district

Survey sample:
• Household phone call survey sample- 3200 HH

Survey Name: Measurement of Higher-Order Risk Preferences Survey-2020

Survey Details:
Survey districts:

• In 4 upazilas of Netrakona district
• In 2 upazilas of Chandpur district
• In 3 upazilas of Gopalganj district
• In 2 upazilas of Sunamganj district

Survey sample:
• Household phone call survey sample- 1100 HH

Survey Name: COVID-19 Household Survey [1st]-2020

Survey Details:
Survey districts:

• In 4 upazilas of Netrakona district
• In 2 upazilas of Chandpur district
• In 3 upazilas of Gopalganj district
• In 2 upazilas of Sunamganj district

Survey sample:
• Household phone call survey sample- 3200 HH

Survey Name: COVID-19 Information and Reminder Survey-2020

Survey Details:
Survey districts:

• In 4 upazilas of Netrakona district
• In 2 upazilas of Chandpur district
• In 3 upazilas of Gopalganj district
• In 2 upazilas of Sunamganj district

Survey sample:
• Household phone call survey sample -1100 HH

Survey Name: COVID-19 Village Survey-2020

Survey Details:
Survey districts:

• In 4 upazilas of Netrakona district
• In 2 upazilas of Chandpur district
• In 3 upazilas of Gopalganj district
• In 2 upazilas of Sunamganj district

Survey sample:
• Village Info sample-150  Prominent people of the village

Survey Name: Household Survey-2020

Survey Details:
Survey districts:

• In 4 upazilas of Netrakona district
• In 2 upazilas of Chandpur district
• In 3 upazilas of Gopalganj district
• In 2 upazilas of Sunamganj district

Survey sample:
• Household survey sample- 4200 HH

Survey Name: Household Cognitive Survey-2020

Survey Details:
Survey districts:

• In 4 upazilas of Netrakona district
• In 2 upazilas of Chandpur district
• In 3 upazilas of Gopalganj district
• In 2 upazilas of Sunamganj district

Survey sample:
• Cognitive survey sample- 4200 HH
• For the Cognitive survey individual household member survey 16000 HHM

Survey Name: Household Cognitive Survey-2019

Survey Details:
Survey districts:

• In 4 upazilas of Netrakona district
• In 2 upazilas of Chandpur district
• In 3 upazilas of Gopalganj district
• In 2 upazilas of Sunamganj district

Survey sample:
• Cognitive survey sample- 4670 HH
• For the Cognitive survey individual household member survey 18200 HHM

Survey Name: Follow-up Household survey and Experimental Survey-2019

Survey Details:
Survey districts:

• In 4 upazilas of Netrakona district
• In 2 upazilas of Chandpur district
• In 3 upazilas of Gopalganj district
• In 2 upazilas of Sunamganj district

Survey sample:
• Household survey sample- 4670 HH

• Cognitive and Experimental survey sample- 4670 HH

Baseline Household survey with Intervention (Ongoing)- 2018-23

Survey Details:

Survey districts:

• In 4 upazilas of Netrakona district
• In 2 upazilas of Chandpur district
• In 3 upazilas of Gopalganj district
• In 2 upazilas of Sunamganj district

Survey sample:
• Household survey sample- 4000 HH

• Cognitive and experimental survey sample- 16000 Individuals
• School listing: 135 Govt. primary school
• Teacher training on LQ curriculum, 3 teachers from each primary school
• Lion Quest Curriculum Books distribution
• Students listing all in class II, III, IV, and class V
• Provide Parents meeting
• Monitoring of Target Schools by Monitoring Officers