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Further research project
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research

Relative Age Differences in Non-Cognitive Skills

There is an increasing body of research that points to differences in learning and development of children as a result of different age levels within the class. Research shows that children, who are born in certain months of the year, do better than their peers in terms of standard test scores due to the cut-off date for school entry. The aim of this study is to add to this literature by focusing on differences in the development of non-cognitive skills between the relatively younger versus the relatively older pupils within one class.

The objective of this study is twofold. Firstly, we want to determine whether childhood maturity differences can also be found in the development of non-cognitive skills. Secondly, the aim is to test whether participation in an (early) entrepreneurship education program might be an effective tool to reduce the gap in non-cognitive skill development between the children with different maturity levels. Given the importance of non-cognitive skills for future labor market outcomes, it is of highest interest to both researchers and policy makers alike to identify an intervention that stimulates non-cognitive skill development and (potentially) decreases the gap in maturity levels within the class.

Fields of Research