Beyond The Numbers: The Impact of Quantitative Teaching on Overall Student Performance

A number of studies demonstrate that quantitative teaching provides social science students with analytical and critical skills. Accordingly, the skills acquired during quantitative teaching are assumed to enhance students’ progress in and after their degree. However, previous studies rely on subjective measures of students’ evaluations of their skills. So far, no prior studies have examined whether the skills obtained through quantitative teaching can be transferred to an overall better performance at university. In order to address this gap, we use high-quality administrative records to examine the impact of quantitative teaching on undergraduate students’ overall marks. The results show that students subject to additional quantitative teaching obtain significantly better marks throughout their studies. The evidence emphasizes the importance of methodological pluralism for social science students.