Many institutions provide financial incentives for higher education students contingent on their performance, hoping to increase their motivation and achievement. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of performance-based financial incentives on higher education students using causal evidence. A total of 18 randomized controlled trials involving 20,286 students were included. Performance-based financial incentives increased the number of college credits earned, marginally improved student grade point averages, and improved exam scores when targeted at a single subject. No evidence was found for differential effects on student populations by gender or first-generation college status. Neither the incentive amount nor a focus on low-income students influenced the incentive effectiveness in improving student grade point averages or credits earned. Tentative evidence suggests that incentive designs in which the number of reward recipients is limited are more beneficial to students from the upper median level of high school grade point average. Hence, the study implies that it is more beneficial to provide lower-amount incentives attainable by a larger number of students than to provide higher-amount incentives attainable only by a small number of students. The results of this meta-analysis are of interest for researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders in higher education involved in designing financial incentive schemes for higher education students – providing a substantial step toward evidence-based practice.

中文翻译：

---

基于绩效的经济激励对高等教育学生的影响：使用因果证据的荟萃分析


许多机构根据高等教育学生的表现提供经济奖励，希望提高他们的动力和成就。这项荟萃分析的目的是利用因果证据评估基于绩效的经济激励对高等教育学生的影响。总共纳入了 18 项随机对照试验，涉及 20,286 名学生。基于绩效的经济激励措施增加了获得的大学学分，略微提高了学生的平均绩点，并提高了针对单一科目的考试成绩。没有发现证据表明性别或第一代大学状况对学生群体有不同的影响。激励金额和对低收入学生的关注都不会影响提高学生平均成绩或学分的激励效果。初步证据表明，限制奖励接受者数量的激励设计对高中平均成绩中上水平的学生更有利。因此，该研究表明，提供更多学生可以获得的较低金额的激励比提供仅少数学生可以获得的较高金额的激励更有利。这项荟萃分析的结果引起了参与为高等教育学生设计经济激励计划的高等教育研究人员、政策制定者和利益相关者的兴趣，为迈向循证实践迈出了实质性的一步。