Daniel Chen (Tolouse School of Economics); Sultan Mehmood (New Economic School); Shaheen Naseer Naseer (Lahore School of Economics)
Abstract
In this paper, we provide experimental evidence of intergenerational transmission of gender norms from public school teachers to students. Using a randomized controlled trial with a network of charter schools in Pakistan, we find that teachers treated with a visual narrative and gender-rights curriculum increase their support for women’s rights and reduce their bias in gender IATs by 0.3 sigma. The treatment transmitted to students, with the students in treated classrooms becoming more supportive of women rights by 0.3 sigma. These changes in attitudes accompanied an increase in test scores, up to 0.3 sigma and with the gender gap in mathematics achievement tests disappearing in classrooms randomly assigned to form mixed-gender study groups. No significant effects appear in classrooms that were randomly assigned to form same-sex student study groups. Overall, our results provide causal evidence that gender norms are transmissible and suggest that segregation of gender within classes may hurt academic achievement and impose economic costs.