When a Disappointment Helped Lead to a Nobel Prize | The New York Times

Research by Nobel Prize winners Esther Duflo, Abhijit Banerjee, and Michael Kraemer, and by CEGA Affiliate Pascaline Dupas was featured in a piece by the New York Times discussing how mistakes in research can lead to interesting new findings.

“Ms. Duflo and Mr. Kremer then worked together, along with Pascaline Dupas, now at Stanford University, on another educational program in Kenya directed toward the entire spectrum of students. They studied what happens when you place students into classes based on their academic preparation. With less variance in students’ level, teachers could aim their instruction more precisely. The researchers found that the program increased student achievement for the entire range of students. The negative finding about textbooks was important in the development of Mr. Kremer’s career. “I’m happier when I find that something works,” he said. “But I’m not in despair if I don’t — the key thing is listen and learn from it.”

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