Why sisters are better than brothers : the effect of sibling gender on attitudes and other essays in gender and education economics

Defence date: 24 February 2022Examining Board : Prof. Michèle Belot (Cornell University); Prof. Andrea Ichino (EUI); Prof. Almudena Sevilla (UCL); Prof. Arnaud Chevalier (Royal Holloway University of London)This thesis is composed of three independent essays in applied microeconomics. The first contributes to the field of gender and family economics and analyzes the effect of the gender of the second-born sibling on first-born individuals’ attitudes. The second chapter speaks to the health economics literature, evaluating the unitended consequences of a liberalization of the morning after pill. The topic of the final chapter lies within the economics of education, proposing a way to differentiate between degrees depending on the type of higher education institution. Even though the three chapters seem separate, all of them share my interest in gender and education economics, as well as causal estimation. In Chapter 1, joint with Martin Habets, we analyze the causal effect of sibling gender on attitudes and preferences. Comparing first-born women with a next-born sister to first-born women with a next-born brother allows us to estimate the causal effect of sibling gender. In particular, we find that a next-born sister leads first-born women to have less stereotypically female preferences in education. We also explore how the gender of the next-born sibling influences parental involvement. Our findings indicate that parents are more involved in the education of their first-born daughter if their next-born sibling is also a girl. These results shed light on how sibling gender influences preferences and attitudes, specifically those for education choices that are gender role conforming. To further explore the role of sibling gender in shaping attitudes, we have designed an online survey – currently in progress – to measure gender roles more precisely. In Capter 2, I analyze the causal effects of liberalizing access to emergency hormonal contraception (EHC), also known as the morning after pill, on young adults’ reproductive behavior in England. The liberalization, which changed the prescription status from “on doctor’s prescription only” to “available without prescription in pharmacies", created easier and more timely access to EHC for all women aged 16 years or older. In a theoretical model of individual behavior I find that EHC, which can be seen as i insurance against pregnancies, acts both as a substitute for regular contraception, as well as a substitute for abortions. This creates the need for analyzing the issue empirically since overall effects on outcomes such as births and abortions are unclear. Using a difference-in-differences approach, I find that easier access to EHC increases births only among 20-24 year olds. I find no effects on abortions or sexually transmitted infections. Chapter 3, attempts to differentiate the degree attainment in the UK by type of higher education institutions. Historically higher education in the UK has been shaped by a dual system: elite universities on the one hand and polytechnics and other higher education institutions on the other. Despite the formal equivalence of both degrees, the two institution types faced different financing, target populations, admission procedures and subjects taught. Nevertheless, in survey data they are often indistinguishable. We overcome this problem using a multiple imputation technique in the UKHLS and BHPS data sets. We examine the validity of inference based on imputed values using Monte Carlo simulations. We also verify that the imputed values are consistent with university graduation rates computed using the universe of undergraduate students in the UK.-- 1 Why Sisters are Better than Brothers - The Effect of Sibling Gender on Attitudes -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Literature -- 1.2.1 Review of the mechanisms behind sibling gender effects -- 1.3 Identification and Estimation Strategy -- 1.4 Data and Sampl -- 1.4.1 Next Steps Data -- 1.4.2 British Cohort Study -- 1.5 Results -- 1.5.1 Results from the Next Steps Data -- 1.5.2 Results British Cohort Study -- 1.6 Survey -- 1.6.1 Survey Questions -- 1.6.2 Survey Regression Specification -- 1.6.3 Survey Index Construction and Technical Details -- 1.7 Conclusion and Outlook -- References -- Appendix 1.A Appendix -- 1.A.1 Summary Statistics -- 1.A.2 Balance Tests -- 1.A.3 Results Next Steps Data -- 1.A.4 Results British Cohort Study -- 2 Liberalizing the Morning After Pill - Effects on Young Women -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Literature Review -- 2.3 Emergency Hormonal Contraception -- 2.4 The Model -- 2.4.1 Solution of the Model -- 2.4.2 Comparative Statics: The Reform -- 2.5 Data -- 2.6 Empirical Strategy -- 2.7 First Stage -- 2.8 Estimation Results -- 2.8.1 Randomization Inference -- 2.9 Robustness Checks --2.9.1 Common Trends: Leads in Main Regression -- 2.9.2 Serial Correlation -- 2.10 Conclusion -- References -- 3 Multiple Imputation of University Degree Attainment -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Institutional background -- 3.3 Data -- 3.3.1 Degree attainment in the BHPS and the UKHLS -- 3.4 Multiple imputation -- 3.4.1 Missing data mechanism -- 3.4.2 Imputation model -- 3.4.3 Evaluation -- 3.5 Results and discussion -- 3.6 Conclusion -- Reference

Quelles pensée critique et métalittératie des futur·es enseignant·es à l’heure des fausses nouvelles sur le Web social ? Une étude de cas collective en francophonie

Thesis DOI : https://doi.org/10.31237/osf.io/3aufbCette étude de cas collective porte sur la pensée critique et les littératies (informationnelle, numérique, médiatique, etc.), appréhendées avec le concept de métalittératie, chez des étudiant·es qui débutent des études supérieures et se destinent à la profession d’enseignant·e au secondaire, en histoire. L’objectif est de brosser un portrait de la pensée critique et de la métalittératie de ces futur·es enseignant·es de la francophonie à l’heure du Web social. La recherche s’inscrit dans un contexte de multiplication des infox (fausses nouvelles ou fake news) et théories du complot aux impacts sociopolitiques et sanitaires avérés en contexte électoral ou de pandémie. Nous nous sommes intéressé aux étudiant·es de Wallonie (Belgique), de France et du Québec (Canada), particulièrement en raison de l’approche adoptée, dans chacune de ces nations, pour former les futur·es enseignant·es (formation professionnalisante vs formation disciplinaire). Pour mener à bien ce travail, plusieurs objectifs spécifiques ont été convoqués. Il s’agissait de : i) analyser la qualité métrique de versions francophones de tests de mesure de la pensée critique, sur le plan des habiletés et des dispositions, ainsi que de l’autoefficacité en métalittératie ; ii) décrire le score des enseignant·es en formation initiale en matière de pensée critique, notamment en regard de facteurs environnementaux (type de formation, pays d’études, emploi) et personnels (autoefficacité en pensée critique et en métalittératie, croyance en la probabilité de devenir enseignant·e) ; iii) discerner les stratégies en métalittératie et en pensée critique de futur·es enseignant·es en Wallonie en France et au Québec, lorsqu’ils évoluent sur un média social (ici, Facebook) utilisé en tant qu’environnement personnel d’apprentissage (EPA) numérique, en regard du type de formation et de certains facteurs environnementaux (perception de l’environnement scolaire et numérique) et personnels (autoefficacité). Un dernier objectif spécifique, transversal aux trois premiers, consistait à (iv) mettre en dialogue des facteurs socioculturels et prendre en considération le parcours scolaire dans les perceptions et pratiques reliées à la métalittératie et à la pensée critique à l’heure du Web social. La thèse suit une présentation par articles ; chacun est lié à l’un des trois premiers objectifs spécifiques, le quatrième étant donc abordé de façon transversale. Opérée dans cinq établissements (deux en Wallonie, un en France et deux au Québec), cette recherche se fonde sur une méthodologie de type mixte en deux phases. La phase quantitative a permis la passation de trois tests auprès de 245 futur·es enseignant·es (N = 245). Dans la seconde phase, de nature qualitative, 32 étudiant·es (n = 32, sélectionné·es parmi les 245 participant·es) ont participé à des entrevues, notamment pour décrire plus abondamment les stratégies connues pour évaluer de l’information. Nous avons aussi observé les pratiques et stratégies mobilisées par neuf d’entre eux·elles (n = 9) pour évaluer des documentaires et en discuter sur un média social. Le premier article illustre la complexité de mesurer la pensée critique, mais témoigne de la solidité psychométrique de la version francisée du Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment, un test permettant d’établir un score d’habiletés de pensée critique. Par ailleurs, nous faisons l’hypothèse que l’autoefficacité en pensée critique, prédicteur significatif des habiletés, devrait être considérée comme une disposition à la pensée critique. Nous avons aussi développé un instrument mesurant l’autoefficacité pour évaluer l’information selon le concept de métalittératie. Dans un deuxième article, nous avons tenté de définir les meilleurs prédicteurs au score d’habiletés en pensée critique. Un modèle linéaire (incluant pays d’étude, type de formation, emploi salarié, ainsi qu’autoefficacité en pensée critique et en métalittératie) est significatif, mais la capacité prédictive est limitée. Cependant, il apparaît du troisième article que les pratiques et stratégies observées en contexte réel ne permettent d’observer que des différences minimes : les étudiant·es en formation professionnalisante mobiliseraient davantage des stratégies métacognitives et autocritiques quand leurs homologues en formation disciplinaire mobiliseraient plutôt des stratégies critériées. La recherche fait ressortir le rôle potentiellement favorable du rapport à l’emploi actuel et futur d’enseignant·e dans la définition d’habiletés et de dispositions en pensée critique, associées à des stratégies particulières pour aborder l’information. Les résultats appuient le renforcement de l’intégration de la formation initiale des enseignant·es dans la pratique éducative et suggèrent de soutenir le projet de carrière pour développer des compétences de pensée critique. Les forces et limites de la recherche sont discutées et plusieurs recommandations sont émises à l’intention de la recherche et du système éducatif, au niveau des politiques éducatives et pratiques scolaires.This collective case study focuses on critical thinking and literacies (informational, digital, media, etc.), understood with the concept of metaliteracy, for students beginning higher education and destined to be secondary school history teachers. The objective is to present a portrait of critical thinking and metaliteracy among these preservice teachers from the French-speaking world, in an era of social networks. The background of the research includes an increasing number of fake- news and conspiracy theories with proven socio-political and health impacts in election or pandemic contexts. We studied students from Wallonia (Belgium), France and Québec (Canada), especially because of these nation’s approach to train preservice teachers (vocational training vs disciplinary training). To conduct this project, several specific objectives were formulated. These were: i) to analyse the metric quality of French-version tests quantifying critical thinking skills and dispositions as well as metaliteracy self-efficacy; ii) to describe preservice teacher scores in critical thinking, particularly in respect with environmental (type of training, country of study, employment) and personal (self-efficacy in critical thinking and metaliteracy, belief in the likelihood of becoming teacher) factors; iii) to discriminate between critical thinking and metaliteracy strategies used by preservice teacher in Wallonia, France and Quebec when navigating in a social media (here Facebook) used as digital personal learning environment (PLE) with respect to the type of training and some environmental (perception of the educational and digital environment) and personal (self-efficacy) factors. A last specific objective, transversal to the first three, consisted in iv) engaging socio-cultural factors and taking into account the educational path, in perceptions and practices related to metaliteracy and critical thinking, in the social web era. This thesis follows a presentation by article; each one of them is related to one of the first three objectives, the fourth objective is thus discussed in a transversal way. Carried on five establishments (two in Wallonia, one in France and two in Quebec), this research is based on a two-phase mixed methodology. The quantitative phase involved three tests conducted on 245 preservice teachers (N = 245). During the second phase, the qualitative one, 32 students (n = 32, selected among the 245 participants) were interviewed, particularly to describe known strategies to evaluate information. In addition, we observed practices and strategies mobilized by nine of them (n = 9) to evaluate information from documentaries and discuss it on a social media. The first article illustrates the complexity of critical thinking measurements but demonstrates the psychometric robustness of the French version of the Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment test, a test for scoring critical thinking skills. Furthermore, we postulate that critical thinking self- efficacy, significant predictor of skills, should be considered as a disposition to critical thinking. We have also developed an indicator measuring self-efficacy in terms of metaliteracy. In a second article, we tried to define the best predictors of critical thinking skills scores. A linear model (including country of study, type of training, employment as well as self-efficacy in critical thinking and metaliteracy) is statistically significant although with limited predictive capability. However, strategies and practices described in the third article and observed in real-life context show only minimal differences between used strategies: it seems that students following a vocational training would more likely mobilize metacognitive and self-critical strategies when their counterparts in disciplinary training use more criterion-referenced strategies. The research highlights the positive role of relationship to current and prospective employment of preservice teachers in defining critical thinking skills and dispositions, combined with specific strategies for dealing with information. The results support the increase of preservice teacher training integration into educational practice and suggests the support of career planning to develop critical thinking skills. Strength and limitations of the research are discussed and several recommendations are offered for research project and educational system, in terms of educational policy and school practices