The Role of Intrinsic Generosity in School Teacher Motivation: Evidence from a Lab-in-the-Field Experiment in Pune, India

Abstract:

Teacher attendance, motivation and effort are important constraints in India‟s public education system, which is plagued by low learning outcomes. While the literature has explained poor performance in education as a function of extrinsic incentives and institutional factors, the factors driving motivated performance are insufficiently studied . This study examines factors driving motivation and effort in 57 teachers from eight low income schools in Pune, India. The study uses a modified lab-in-the-field dictator game to measure intrinsic pro-social (altruistic) preferences of school teachers and collects data on socio-economic, demographic and school-level parameters. It also collects teacher performance indicators through self, peer and supervisor evaluation and creates an Index of Teacher Motivation (TMI). We find a significant association of intrinsic generosity with teacher performance outcomes, a preliminary result which needs further research in larger samples but may suggest the need for exploring beyond incentive-based performance management of school teachers.