Becoming a Teacher: Experimental Evidence from an Information Intervention

with Mariana Alfonso, Matías Busso, Hugo R. Ñopo, and Antonella Rivera

International Journal of Educational Development. Volume 118. October, 2025

Education systems seeking to improve outcomes must attract, develop, and retain highly effective teachers. A critical challenge is making the teaching profession appealing to talented youth. This paper presents evidence from an experiment in Peru, where we provided high school seniors with information about recent reforms to the teaching career. We find positive, though modest, effects on both the intensive and extensive margins: treated students were more likely to choose an education major and to enroll in higher education. While the intervention increased the number of prospective teachers, it did not substantially alter the profile of those entering the profession. These findings suggest that career incentives and information can influence students’ decisions, though broader changes to the composition of the future teaching workforce may require additional, complementary interventions.

The Price of Faith: Economic Costs and Religious Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa

with Eduardo Montero, and Dean Yang

NBER Working Paper, No. 33482, February 2025

How do economic costs affect religious choices, and how do religious institutions adapt to economic realities? We study the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) church in Sub-Saharan Africa, which prohibits production of tobacco, coffee, and tea, creating salient opportunity costs for potential members in areas suitable for these crops. We construct a measure of SDA membership opportunity cost that varies over time and space based on local crop suitability and export prices. Using church administrative data and member surveys, we find that increased opportunity costs lead to lower membership growth and lower satisfaction with the church among existing members. The church responds by establishing new educational and health institutions and reducing emphasis on "healthy living" religious tenets. These findings reveal how religious organizations can show striking flexibility in balancing tradition and adaptation when faced with economic pressures. Our study provides new insights into the microeconomics of cultural change, as mediated by religious institutions.

The Roots of Faith: Early Life Droughts and Religious Commitment

September, 2025

Religion is a fundamental aspect of societal norms and values, yet its interplay with environmental shocks, particularly in the context of climate vulnerability, remains underexplored. This study investigates the long-term impact of drought exposure on religious expression and group affiliation in African countries. Using individual-level data from the Afrobarometer survey across over 30 nations, I exploit variation in drought exposure based on age and location, finding that individuals exposed to stronger droughts are more likely to be members of a religious group and actively participate. While a short-run effect is present for adults, the analysis reveals a persistent, long-term impact driven specifically by exposure during the formative teenage years. These findings are complemented by evidence that teenage drought exposure is also associated with a greater likelihood of obtaining formal education, working in agriculture, and trusting community-based institutions, suggesting a broad adaptation strategy.

Gender Differences in Educational Decisions Under Uncertainty

Status: In Progress

University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI

University of Michigan

Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria

Universidad de Chile