Rigissa Megalokonomou
rmegal.bsky.social
Rigissa Megalokonomou
@rmegal.bsky.social
Associate Professor in Economics at Monash University @monashuniversity.bsky.social, Department of Economics, labor, education, gender, causal inference, policy evaluation, PhD: @warwickecon.bsky.social, Mother, 🇬🇷 🇦🇺
Keynotes: Prof. Manisha Shah (UC Berkeley) & Prof. Stefania Albanesi (University of Miami).

Special sessions on the economics of violence against women (with CEVAW, GLO, and JOPE).

We would love to see you there!
September 10, 2025 at 1:27 AM
If there is still space, please add me :)
August 13, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Our findings have important implications, as teachers shape classroom dynamics and influence the positive externalities between students.

Also so happy to share that my maternity leave started with two paper acceptances 🥰

#Economics #Randomization #Experiment #RoleModels
February 8, 2025 at 12:20 PM
These effects are more pronounced among teachers with children & in urban areas.

However, our administrative data show limited observed differences in educational outcomes between top-performing boys and girls that could justify these teachers’ gendered perceptions.
February 8, 2025 at 12:20 PM
We find that teachers view top-performing girls as more impactful peer role models than top-performing boys.

We find that teachers associate greater learning autonomy & a stronger sense of being an example with top-performing girls compared with boys.
February 8, 2025 at 12:20 PM
The findings discussed in these pieces are drawn from our academic publication earlier this year in the Journal of Public Economics, based on research that lasted many years, conducted with Aspasia Bizopoulou and Stefania Simion:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Do second chances pay off? Evidence from a natural experiment with low-achieving students
In several countries, students who fail high-stakes exams at the end of high school are faced with the choice of retaking or forgoing postsecondary ed…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 20, 2024 at 11:03 AM
We use unique data that we obtained from the Hellenic Ministry of Education on student outcomes each time they repeat the national exams and we also exploit a natural experiment that affected low-achieving students.
December 20, 2024 at 11:03 AM
Our findings highlight how classroom dynamics influence academic & career trajectories, particularly for disadvantaged students.

We all came together in person at @monashuniversity.bsky.social & worked non-stop for a week to finish this project 🥂🥳\

Full paper here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
December 12, 2024 at 12:35 PM
These effects are more pronounced in low-income areas, larger classes, and when female peers are fewer. Our lab-in-the-field experiment suggests that peer disruptiveness decreases motivation for study effort, college study aspirations, & science study and career readiness.
December 12, 2024 at 12:35 PM
We find that students in disruptive classrooms face: lower test scores, higher grade retention risk, a lower likelihood of graduating from high school on time, a lower likelihood of pursuing competitive STEM fields & enrolling in selective postsecondary programs 3 years later.
December 12, 2024 at 12:35 PM
We combine: direct measures of disruptiveness, quasi-random peer group formation, novel data from Greece, a novel theoretical framework, and a lab-in-the-field experiment to study the impact of disruptiveness on peers’ outcomes & understand the mechanisms behind these effects.
December 12, 2024 at 12:35 PM