Stimulating Curiosity in the Classroom: A Randomized Educational Intervention in Turkey

We propose to implement a large-scale randomized educational intervention that aims to cultivate and stimulate curiosity in the classroom environment. The study is motivated by the evidence on the importance of curiosity as a fundamental driver of academic achievement. The intervention has three components: 1) Identifying teaching and parenting practices that hinder/foster curiosity. 2) Stimulating curiosity via targeted teaching practices supplemented by a specifically designed curriculum. 3) Promoting curiosity as a socially desirable attribute among children and adolescents by eliminating social risks associated with its expression. The overarching goal of the planned RCT is to mitigate socioeconomic achievement gaps. By primarily emphasizing curiosity in science and technology, the intervention also aims to narrow the gender gap in STEM aspirations. The study also involves designing a novel measurement inventory that elicits curiosity using a temporal behavioral task.