Religious practice and student performance: Evidence from Ramadan fasting

Erik Hornung, Guido Schwerdt and Maurizio Strazzeri

No 6, Working Papers from University of Konstanz, Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality. Perceptions, Participation and Policies"

Abstract: We investigate how the intensity of Ramadan affects educational outcomes by exploiting spatio-temporal variation in annual fasting hours. Longer fasting hours are related to increases in student performance in a panel of TIMMS test scores (1995-2019) across Muslim countries but not other countries. Results are confirmed in a panel of PISA test scores (2003-2018) allowing within country-wave comparisons of Muslim to non-Muslim students across Europe. We provide evidence consistent with the hypothesis that a demanding Ramadan during adolescence affects educational performance by facilitating formation of social capital and social identity via increased religious participation and shared experiences among students.

Keywords: Education; Religion; Religious Participation; Ramadan; Social Identity; Social Capital; PISA; TIMMS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 J24 O15 Z12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-soc and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/247427/1/1775114139.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Religious practice and student performance: Evidence from Ramadan fasting (2023)
Working Paper: Religious Practice and Student Performance: Evidence from Ramadan Fasting (2021)
Working Paper: Religious Practice and Student Performance: Evidence from Ramadan Fasting (2021)
Working Paper: Religious practice and student performance: Evidence from Ramadan fasting (2021)
Working Paper: Religious practice and student performance: Evidence from Ramadan fasting (2021)
Working Paper: Religious Practice and Student Performance: Evidence from Ramadan Fasting (2021)
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