Chapter 3. Field Experiments in Education in Developing Countries

The study of education in developing countries has been transformed by the rapid increase in the feasibility and prevalence of field experiments over the past 15 years. This paper comprises three main sections. First, it illustrates the very broad range of research questions regarding education in developing countries that have been addressed using field experiments, and summarizes the most important patterns of findings from this body of research. Second, it discusses some of the limitations of field experiments and strategies for mitigating them through better design. Third, it provides a practical toolkit on design, implementation, measurement and data collection, analysis, and interpretation of field experiments in education. The main goal for this chapter is to serve as a reference for students, researchers, and practitioners by summarizing lessons learned, highlighting key open questions for future research, and providing guidance on how to design and implement high-quality field experiments in education in a way that maximizes what we learn from them.