This is an collection of email alerts of recent research, mostly papers, on education. 

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This is an collection of email alerts of recent research, mostly papers, on education. 

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Creativity and critical thinking are key skills for complex, globalised and increasingly digitalised economies and societies. While teachers and education policy makers consider creativity and critical thinking as important learning goals, it is still unclear to many what it means to develop these skills in a school setting. To make it more visible and tangible to practitioners, the OECD worked with networks of schools and teachers in 11 countries to develop and trial a set of pedagogical resources that exemplify what it means to teach, learn and make progress in creativity and critical thinking in primary and secondary education. Through a portfolio of rubrics and examples of lesson plans, teachers in the field gave feedback, implemented the proposed teaching strategies and documented their work. Instruments to monitor the effectiveness of the intervention in a validation study were also developed and tested, supplementing the insights on the effects of the intervention in the field provided by the team co-ordinators.

What are the key elements of creativity and critical thinking? What pedagogical strategies and approaches can teachers adopt to foster them? How can school leaders support teachers' professional learning? To what extent did teachers participating in the project change their teaching methods? How can we know whether it works and for whom? These are some of the questions addressed in this book, which reports on the outputs and lessons of this international project.

What is the nature of childhood today? On a number of measures, modern children’s lives have clearly improved thanks to better public safety and support for their physical and mental health. New technologies help children to learn, socialise and unwind, and older, better-educated parents are increasingly playing an active role in their children's education.

At the same time, we are more connected than ever before, and many children have access to tablets and smartphones before they learn to walk and talk. Twenty-first century children are more likely to be only children, increasingly pushed to do more by “helicopter parents” who hover over their children to protect them from potential harm. In addition to limitless online opportunities, the omnipresent nature of the digital world brings new risks, like cyber-bullying, that follow children from the schoolyard into their homes.

This report examines modern childhood, looking specifically at the intersection between emotional well-being and new technologies. It explores how parenting and friendships have changed in the digital age. It examines children as digital citizens, and how best to take advantage of online opportunities while minimising the risks. The volume ends with a look at how to foster digital literacy and resilience, highlighting the role of partnerships, policy and protection.

BJÖRN HÖGBERG

 

This is an collection of email alerts of recent research, mostly papers, on banking. 

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This is an collection of email alerts of recent research, mostly papers, on insurance economics. 

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Oxford Economic Papers, Volume 71, Issue 4, October 2019

 

KATHERINE CURCHIN

 

Internationally the payment of welfare benefits is increasingly being made conditional on recipients’ behaviour. Behavioural conditions and the payments to which they apply are diversifying. This article aims to contribute to the debate among scholars and policymakers over the ethics of welfare conditionality. While other assessments of the ethics of welfare conditionality have focused on the potential harm caused to vulnerable welfare recipients, this paper develops the argument that welfare conditionality is illiberal. Drawing on findings from behavioural science, it argues that relying on extrinsic motivation in the form of financial incentives is a less desirable approach to behavioural change than bolstering intrinsic motivation. The argument is illustrated with the case of the Australian ‘No Jab, No Pay’ policy, under which family payments and childcare subsidies are denied to parents whose children are not fully immunised. As behavioural conditions and the payments to which they are applied diversify, the cumulative effects of these conditions pose an underappreciated threat to citizens’ autonomy.

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This is an collection of email alerts of recent research, mostly papers, on urban and real estate economics. 

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This is an collection of email alerts of recent research, mostly papers, on inequality, unemployment and poverty. 

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Oxford Economic Papers, Volume 71, Issue 4, October 2019, Pages 824–847, 

 

In this paper, we revisit the inequality–growth relationship using an enhanced panel data set with improved inequality data. We explicitly take into account the special role of transition (post-Soviet) countries and add an instrumental variable (IV) estimation to add a causal interpretation to our findings. Our analysis is based on the specification used by Forbes in her 2000 paper, but we also address functional form concerns raised by Banerjee and Duflo three years later. We arrive at three main findings: First, the significant positive association between inequality and economic growth in the full sample is entirely driven by transition countries. Second, this relationship in transition countries is not robust to the inclusion of separate time effects. Lastly, it appears that this association is not causal but rather driven by the particular timing of the transition. Results from IV estimation confirm our interpretation of the observed positive relationship in the overall sample as non-causal.

This is an collection of email alerts of recent research, mostly papers, on inequality, unemployment and poverty. 

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This is an collection of email alerts of recent research, mostly papers, on labour markets, supply, demand and wages.

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The persistent low female participation in male-dominated trades is not attracting a high level of public attention and policy action. There are determined, yet ad hoc actions by advocates in response to evidence that economic benefits will be derived for industry and women through increased female participation in the male-dominated trades. Occupational segregation of the trades remains resistant to change.

To better understand the barriers limiting female participation in the male-dominated trades from the perspective of young women, this PhD study features interviews with female secondary students, complemented by interviews with industry stakeholders and a quantitative analysis of VET and trade participation data. The three primary research questions are: 1) What is the extent of gender segregation in vocational education and training (VET) and typically male-dominated trades in Australia, and how does this compare internationally? 2) Why do very few female students choose male-dominated trades as their job pathway? 3) What can be done, particularly in the education and training sectors, to increase female interest in, and take-up of, the male-dominated trades?;  The results of this research showed that the composition of trade-qualified females in male-dominated trades is persistently low at 2-3 per cent. The views of young women affirmed the evidence showing system-wide barriers limit female interest in these trades. Most influential is that gender stereotypes of work are set by Year 10 and that female enrolment in Maths (a pre-requisite for male-dominated careers) is low; these trades are seen as 'jobs for the boys who don't do academic,' and the fear of intimidation and harassment deters young women. Low enrolment of female students in male-dominated trade courses indicates that this entrenched occupational segregation of the trades will remain resistant to change for some time to come.

The findings indicate that ad hoc responses to overcome gender segregation of the trades is not effective. Influenced by systems theory and a social ecological model (SEM) of change, the researchers promote the need for sustained, nation-wide awareness and action involving VET and school sectors, industry, government and trade unions to attract more women into male-dominated trades.

Volume 48, Issue 4 October 2019 , pp. 839-859

This is an collection of email alerts of recent research, mostly papers, on macroeconomics. 

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This is an collection of email alerts of recent research, mostly papers, economics of human migration.

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Among the millions of asylum seekers who recently arrived in OECD countries, the majority are young people who may be able to take advantage of vocational education and training (VET) opportunities to help them enter skilled employment. This report provides advice to governments and other stakeholders who are seeking to use VET to promote integration, in particular for young humanitarian migrants. While the study draws particularly on policy and practice observed in Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland, it also highlights other international practices.

The report focuses on the main channels through which migrants succeed in VET. It is essential that migrants are fully informed about the opportunities VET provision offers and that they have access to high quality preparatory programmes enabling access to upper-secondary VET. Once in such provision, targeted support should help them to complete VET programmes successfully. OECD countries are putting in place innovative measures to achieve better outcomes for both migrants and for economies as a whole. Ultimately this report argues that VET systems can become stronger, more flexible and more inclusive, when working better for all students, including those with diverse and vulnerable backgrounds.

This is an collection of email alerts of recent research, mostly papers, on energy economics. 

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This is an collection of email alerts of recent research, mostly papers, on environmental economics.

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Global natural gas demand is growing strongly, supported by abundant and diversified sources of supply. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) remains a key enabler of international trade development with double-digit growth three years in a row, and with future growth potential supported by another wave of investment decisions in LNG export facilities throughout the world.

Much of the growth in LNG consumption is occurring in countries where LNG competes with other sources of natural gas and fuels, meaning LNG importers want more flexibility. The development of LNG spot trading, the growing share of destination-free supply contracts, and the rise of portfolio players as key buyers are all signs that the LNG market is responding to these increasing demands.

The International Energy Agency’s fourth edition of the Global Gas Security Review provides a detailed overview of these recent global market trends as well as specific regional analyses for major importing markets.

This year’s report focuses on three topics. It first provides an update on LNG market flexibility metrics based on a detailed assessment of recent contractual activity. It analyses the evolution of flexibility in LNG supply procured by traditional Asian buyers for their domestic markets, and how this flexibility could contribute to improving security of supply for fast-growing markets elsewhere in Asia. Finally, this year’s report includes a focus on north-western Europe’s gas security challenges as a major source of domestic supply (the Groningen field in the Netherlands) is phased out.

This report builds on the OECD Well-being Framework and applies a new perspective that analyses synergies and trade-offs between climate change mitigation and broader goals such as health, education, jobs, as well as wider environmental quality and the resources needed to sustain our livelihoods through time. This report takes an explicitly political economy approach to the low-emissions transitions needed across five economic sectors (electricity, heavy industry, residential, surface transport, and agriculture) that are responsible for more than 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Synergies between emissions reduction and broader well-being objectives, such as reduced air pollution and improved health, increase the incentives for early mitigation action. At the same time, the impact of climate policies on issues such as the affordability of energy and jobs need to be taken into account to counter growing economic and social inequalities within and between countries. The report argues that reframing climate policies using a well-being lens is necessary for making visible such synergies and trade-offs; allowing decision-makers to increase the former and anticipate, manage and minimise the latter. This requires us to rethink societal goals in terms of well-being, reframe our measures of progress and refocus policy-making accordingly.

The full publication will be available in early 2020.

Air conditioners in passenger cars, vans, buses and freight trucks – collectively known as mobile air conditioning – consume large amounts of energy. The fuel they use and their leaks of refrigerant are also responsible for a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

This report explores the current global energy consumption from mobile air conditioning systems, along with the resulting greenhouse gas emissions from the energy consumption and the leaking refrigerants. With no further policy action, energy use from mobile air conditioning may almost triple to over 5.7 million barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2050. At the same time, annual combined emissions from energy consumption and refrigerant leakage could more than triple to 1 300 million tons of CO2 equivalent.

The report provides a summary review of the technical opportunities for improving the efficiency of mobile air conditioning. This is complemented with a review of the different types of alternative cooling refrigerants, and their potential impact on global warming. These two analyses are combined to develop a scenario of high efficiency and low global warming potential. The report’s analysis is based on a study of the literature and makes use of the IEA’s Mobility Model, which provides insights into the current and expected future stock of road vehicles.

Finally, the report explores the role government policy can play in supporting the development and installation of more efficient mobile air conditioning systems.

New opportunities to use carbon dioxide (CO2) in the development of products and services are capturing the attention of governments, industry and the investment community. Climate change mitigation is the primary driver for this increased interest, but other factors include technology leadership and supporting a circular economy. This analysis considers the near-term market potential for five key categories of CO2-derived products and services: fuels, chemicals, building materials from minerals, building materials from waste, and CO2 use to enhance the yields of biological processes.

While some technologies are still at an early stage of development, all five categories could individually be scaled-up to a market size of at least 10 MtCO2/yr – almost as much as the current CO2 demand for food and beverages – but most face commercial and regulatory barriers. CO2 use can support climate goals where the application is scalable, uses low-carbon energy and displaces a product with higher life-cycle emissions. Some CO2-derived products also involve permanent carbon retention, in particular building materials. A better understanding and improved methodology to quantify the life-cycle climate benefits of CO2 use applications are needed.

The market for CO2 use is expected to remain relatively small in the short term, but early opportunities could be developed, especially those related to building materials. Public procurement of low-carbon products can help to create an early market for CO2-derived products and assist in the development of technical standards. In the long term, CO2 sourced from biomass or the air could play a key role in a net-zero CO2 emission economy, including as a carbon source for aviation fuels and chemicals.

2019 marks the 22nd edition of Key World Energy Statistics (KWES) – the annual booklet of the IEA’s most used statistics.

Key World Energy Statistics contains timely, clearly presented data on the supply, transformation and consumption of all major energy sources for the main regions of the world in addition to energy indicators, energy balances, prices, RDD and CO2 emissions as well as energy forecasts.

Markets that function well within a stable regulatory and policy environment are key to improving the productivity and sustainability of the food and agriculture sector. This report contains the main findings and policy lessons gained from a series of wide-ranging country reviews on how government policies can improve sectoral productivity and sustainability through their impact on innovation, structural change, natural resource use, and climate change. Improving the policy environment would require rolling back those policies that distort markets the most and retain farmers in uncompetitive and low-income activities, harm the environment, stifle innovation, slow structural and generational change, and weaken resilience.

Agriculture policy should focus instead on measures that facilitate the uptake of technologies and practices that use resources more efficiently and sustainably, and which contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Of equal importance are: a more collaborative approach, more effective governance systems, the development of long-term strategies, strengthened linkages between national and international actors, and comprehensive and coherent evaluation procedures. Public funding of food and agricultural research is also crucial, and private efforts need to be strengthened, including through public-private partnerships. Finally, improving overall policy coherence would contribute to building trust, and to increasing policy effectiveness at each step of the food and agriculture chain.

 

The global financial crisis has put public budgets throughout the European Union under severe pressure. Government responses to the financial crisis have mainly focused on cutbacks to balance the budget. In this paper, we focus on a specific case of innovation in financial governance in Italy that aimed to minimize the severe effects of financial constraints on local government, while managing deficit control goals at the central level. The regulatory innovation consisted in a system of agreements between levels of government based on the ability to exchange fiscal deficit permits. While this system keeps the aggregate government-wide deficit unchanged, it allows individual local governments to deviate from their initial fiscal balance targets by obtaining deficit permits from governments that have a surplus. 

This paper critically analyzes this innovation from three perspectives: the governance model inherent to this mechanism, the new financial management practices emerging at the local level, and the effectiveness of the mechanism with regard to declared goals and objectives. Findings from this study show that a critical element limiting innovation in fiscal governance seems to be connected to the simplistic observation that the overall budgetary position of the country’s government results from the algebraic sum of all individual government bodies’ financial results. At the core of this understanding are collateral effects that occur when local priorities are distorted by the need to achieve detached fiscal targets set in a top-down manner by the central government, as exemplified by the unexpected investment crunch in Italy induced by fiscal targets calculated on a mixed accrual-cash basis.

This is an collection of email alerts of recent research, mostly papers, on regulation. 

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This is an collection of email alerts of recent research, mostly papers, on public finance.

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The eighth edition of the OECD's Tax Administration Series, this report provides internationally comparative data on aspects of tax systems and their administration in 58 advanced and emerging economies. The publication presents the results of the 2018 International Survey on Revenue Administration (ISORA), a multi-organisation international survey to collect national-level information and data on tax administration governed by four partner organisations: CIAT, the IMF, IOTA and the OECD. For the 2018 survey round, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) agreed to participate along with the four partner organisations.

The report has three parts. The first contains four chapters that examine and comment on tax administration performance and trends up to the end of the 2017 fiscal year. The second part presents ten tax administration-authored articles providing a country view on a range of topical issues to tax administration, while part three contains all the data tables that form the basis of the analysis in this report as well as details of the administrations participating in this report.