Choosing the Field of Study in Post-Secondary Education: Do Expected Earnings Matter?

This paper examines the determinants of the choice of the major when the length of studies is uncertain, by using a framework in which students entering post-secondary education are assumed to anticipate their future earnings. For that purpose, we use French data coming from the 1992 and 1998 Génération surveys collected by the Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches sur l'Emploi et les Qualifications (CEREQ, Marseille). Our econometric approach is based on a semi-structural three-equations model, which is identified thanks to some exclusion restrictions. We exploit in particular exogenous variations in the earnings returns associated with the majors across the business cycle, in order to identify the causal effect of expected earnings on the probability of choosing a given major. Relying on a three-component mixture distribution, we account for correlation between the unobserved individual-specific terms affecting the preferences for the majors, the unobserved individual-specific factors entering the equation determining the length of studies within each major, and that affecting the labor market earnings equation. Following Arcidiacono and Jones (2003), we use the EM algorithm with a sequential maximization step to produce consistent parameter estimates. Simulating for each given major a 10 percent increase in the expected earnings suggests that expected earnings have a statistically significant but quantitatively small impact on the allocation of students across majors.post-secondary education, major choice, returns to education, EM algorithm

A non commutative sewing lemma

In a preceding paper [E.J.ofProb.34,860-892,(2006)], we proved a sewing lemma which was a key result for the study of Holder continuous functions. In this paper we give a non-commutative version of this lemma with some applications.Comment: 11 page

The Effect of Part-Time Work on Post-Secondary Educational Attainment: New Evidence from French Data

In this paper, we provide new evidence on the effect of part-time work on postsecondary educational attainment. To do so, we use samples extracted from the French Labor Force Surveys conducted over the years 1992-2002. These samples are restricted to students in initial education following university studies and preparing an Associate, a Bachelor or a Master degree. We estimate probit models with two simultaneous equations accounting for part-time working while studying and for success on the final exam, along with the decision to continue the following year in one of the models. We take the working time into account by drawing in one of the models a distinction between jobs in which more or less than 16 hours are worked per week. We use variations across departements in low-skilled youth unemployment rates and in their interactions with the father's socio-economic status in order to identify the effect of part-time work on educational attainment. Our results suggest a statistically significant and very large detrimental effect of holding a regular part-time job on graduation probability. Still, a complementary analysis shows that working while studying does not have any significant effect on the probability of continuing studies.post-secondary educational attainment, students' labor supply, bivariate Probit models

Guerre des sexes chez une fourmi : reproduction clonale des mâles et des reines

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Présentation

peer reviewe

Le « Jeu des Tours » : apprendre les Maths sur Table Interactive avec objets Tangibles

International audienceNous présentons dans cet article le « Jeu des Tours ». Une application pour la table interactive TangiSense conçue en partenariat avec l'Education Nationale (Circo. Brest-Nord). Ce jeu a pour objectifs d'appréhender les notions de représentation dans l'espace ainsi que la résolution de problèmes mathématiques en classes primaires. Nous présentons dans un premier temps le jeu, support de notre recherche, puis son implémentation pour notre table interactive avec objets tangibles

The Impact of Students' Paid Employment on Pursuit and Completion of University Studies

This paper is devoted to the estimation of the effects of students paid employment on their success at university and their decision to pursue their studies. Our analysis is based on samples extracted from INSEE Labour Force Surveys conducted between 1992 and 2002. The samples are restricted to students who have begun their university studies and are preparing a first- or second-stage degree. We exclude students whose jobs are linked to their studies, particularly apprentices under contract and employment program trainees. The results show that occupying a regular job significantly reduces the probability of graduating at the end of the academic year. If they did not work, students in paid employment would have a 43-point-higher probability of completing their academic year successfully. An additional analysis shows that the job-plus-studies combination does not significantly influence the probability of pursuing ones studies in the following year.Post-Secondary Educational Attainment, Students' Labour Supply, Bivariate Probit Models

Utilisation d'une Table Interactive avec objets Tangibles pour apprendre à l'école : études empiriques en milieu écologique

International audienceWe describe in this article the results of three-years study of using a Tangible Tabletop Interface (TTI) for the development of student learning in spatial reasoning abilities. In partnership with the French Department of Education and teachers, we have designed and built a serious game in mathematics, called The Game of Towers for the TangiSense 2 interactive tabletop. Then, we conducted « in the wild » experiments with 68 students. As part of a first study, we compared the learning outcomes of two groups of students (Gr. Traditional vs. Gr. TTI). The results of this study have encouraged us to make a second experiment. In the latter, we analyzed child participation (physical and verbal) and the social modes of knowledge co-construction when they played the game on the TTI. The results showed that students improved their performance by playing the game on the TTI and collaborated through externalization and conflict-oriented consensus.Nous décrivons dans cet article, les résultats de trois années d’études sur l’utilisation d’une Table Interactive avec objets Tangibles (TIT) pour le développement des capacités de raisonnement spatial d’élèves de Cours Préparatoire (CP). Pour cela nous avons, avec l’aide d’enseignants et d’une conseillère pédagogique, conçu et développé le Jeu des Tours pour la table interactive TangiSense 2. Nous avons ensuite mené des expérimentations en milieu écologique avec 68 élèves. Dans le cadre d’une première étude, nous avons comparé les résultats d’apprentissage de deux groupes d’élèves (Gr. Traditionnel vs. Gr. TIT). Les résultats de cette étude nous ont encouragé à en réaliser une seconde. Dans cette dernière, nous avons analysé la participation des élèves (physique et verbale) et la manière dont ils construisaient leurs connaissances en groupe lorsqu’ils jouaient au Jeu des Tours sur la TIT. Les résultats ont montré que les élèves amélioraient leurs performances en jouant sur la TIT et, collaboraient à travers l’externalisation et la recherche d’un consensus orienté par le conflit