Abstract
We conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of a summer learning program for vulnerable students across nine cities in Italy (N = 1,038). The program included educational workshops in small groups (88 hours) and personalized tutoring (12 hours). Results indicate positive effects of the program on Italian skills and, albeit weaker, on mathematics. The positive results were most pronounced among primary school students and among students with special needs or from vulnerable environments. Explorative analyses of noncognitive skills provide conflicting insights: An increase in students’ interest in acquiring new competencies suggests potential enduring effects, but the emergence of dissatisfaction with traditional school activities and heightened school-related stress raises concerns about reduced engagement with conventional schooling.
Keywords
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
