Measuring the impact of teaching on non cognitive skills, for the first time in Mexico

An ongoing impact evaluation in Mexico is pioneering the measurement of student non-cognitive skills and the effects of teachers and teacher mindsets on those skills. The program evaluated is run by Enseña por México (EPM),... [ view full abstract ]

An ongoing impact evaluation in Mexico is pioneering the measurement of student non-cognitive skills and the effects of teachers and teacher mindsets on those skills. The program evaluated is run by Enseña por México (EPM), a non-profit organization that recruits and trains young leaders to become fellows and work as teachers in high-need classrooms. The sample consists of over 40,000 students in grades 4-12, and the evaluation uses a quasi-experimental technique. Among the non-cognitive skills that are measured: self-management, growth mindset, self-efficacy, and social awareness (all adapted from the CORE Districts Survey). Additionally, the evaluation will explore to what extent teachers’ mindsets, values, and attitudes impact student non-cognitive skills through the measurement of socio-emotional skills in teachers. To our knowledge, this is the first large-scale impact evaluation using validated instruments to measure the impact of teaching and teachers’ mindsets on student non-cognitive skills growth in Mexico.