Outcomes and Causal Inference in International Comparative Assessments (OCCAM)

Tasks

The European Training Network investigates how educational policies influence educational outcomes worldwide. One of the most salient findings in the field of education is that there are huge national differences in student achievement in international comparative studies. The shockingly large gap between the highest performing countries (most of which are in East Asia) and many European countries corresponds to a difference in attainment of two years of schooling. Although this finding has been replicated in serval studies, the reasons for and consequences of such differences are not well understood to date.

The early-stage researcher project in this network conducted at the ifo Institute focuses on reforms of teacher professionalization and accountability. The objective of this project is to expand knowledge of the ways policy-relevant schooling inputs affect the efficiency and equity of student outcomes. To this end, the international student assessment data of PISA are used and up-to-date microeconometric evaluation methods are employed.