We Knew Fire was Hot
This paper discusses Ludger Woessman바카라 사이트檚 research paper on class-size effects in school systems around the world
Abstract
Lant Pritchett looks at Ludger Woessman바카라 사이트檚 body of research to emphasise one particular paper of his, written jointly with Martin West, entitled 바카라 사이트楥lass-size effects in school systems around the world: Evidence from between-grade variation in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)바카라 사이트�. When the paper was written in 2002, it already spoke directly to the likely external validity of estimates of causal impact from 바카라 사이트渆ducation production functions바카라 사이트� relating inputs to learning outcomes. If 바카라 사이트渨hat works바카라 사이트� is truly heterogeneous across contexts바카라 사이트攁nd this Woessmann paper shows that even for simple inputs like 바카라 사이트渃lass size바카라 사이트� and even in mostly developed country contexts, it is바카라 사이트攖hen aggregating estimates of 바카라 사이트渨hat works바카라 사이트� is not going to be of much use in deciding what to do in specific circumstances.
But Pitchett바카라 사이트檚 point is that we already knew that was going to be the case, both empirically and logically. We did not need to spend millions of dollars and hundreds of Randomised Control Trials (RCTs) to know they were not going to add up to a single clear answer about 바카라 사이트渨hat works바카라 사이트� in any given context. The lack of external validity of the emerging RCT evidence is not a surprise or even a 바카라 사이트渇inding바카라 사이트� that we could have only reached by doing the RCTs바카라 사이트攚e knew the eventual outcome, we just didn바카라 사이트檛 want to know it.
This paper is part of the Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE) Programme.
Citation
Pritchett, L. (2018). We Knew Fire was Hot. Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE) Programme Insights
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