Randomised controlled trial of incentives to improve attendance at adult literacy classes

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Randomised controlled trial of incentives to
improve attendance at adult literacy
classes Greg Brooks, Maxine Burton, Pam Cole,
Jeremy Miles, Carole Torgerson and David
Torgerson g.brooks_at_shef.ac.uk School of
Education, University of Sheffield York Trials
Unit, Dept of Health Sciences, University of
York Department of Educational Studies,
University of York


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Background

• Poor adult literacy widespread problem
• Regular attendance known to correlate with adult
  learners making better progress in reading.
• No evidence from randomised controlled trials on
  incentives to attend.

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Methods

• Pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial
• Built on top of existing University of Sheffield
  Effective practice in reading study

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Funding for main study Funding for trial

• ESF University of Sheffield
• ? (separate fund)
• DfES ?
• ? Learners
• SfLSU
• ?
• IoE
• ?
• NRDC
• ?
• University of Sheffield

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• Ethical approval and informed consent obtained
• 29 adult literacy classes allocated by York
  Trials Unit to two groups using minimisation
• Classes mainly in East Midlands and North of
  England, with 3 outliers in South East
• Main outcome number of sessions attended
• Secondary outcome reading attainment (tests
  devised by NFER)

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• Both groups received 20 to attend pre- and
  post-tests sessions in January and June 2005
• Intervention group also received 5 for each
  session attended between pre- and post-tests
• Payments to learners after end of study

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Results

• One class did not meet inclusion criteria
  excluded
• 14 classes in each group
• Tests marked by researcher at NFER
• Data analysed by statistician in York blind to
  status of groups

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Effects of incentives on sessions attended and
post-test scores
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Limitations

• Small study
• Small incentive
• Incentives in form of vouchers cash better?
• Did not test policy of financial sanctions

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Discussion Perverse result known variously as

• Over-Justification Hypothesis
• Corruption Effect
• The Hidden Cost of Reward
• Cognitive Evaluation Theory
• Crowding-Out Effect

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External interventions crowd out intrinsic
motivation if they are perceived as controlling.
In that case, both self-determination and
self-esteem suffer, and the individuals react by
reducing their intrinsic motivation in the
activity controlled.(Frey and Jegen, 2001, p.594)

• - with rider for interesting tasks added on
  p.598
• Plausible explanation?