A Peer Like Me? Early Exposure to High Achievers in Math and Later Educational Outcomes

Laura Pagani and Giovanni Pica

No 476, Development Working Papers from Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano

Abstract: This paper investigates whether exposure to academically gifted peers of the same and opposite gender in primary school (grade 5, at age 10) affects later academic achievement (grade 8, at age 13) and high-school track choice. For identification we exploit random allocation of kids across classes within primary schools. We document that, conditional on primary school fixed effects and grade 8 class fixed effects, as well as on baseline achievement, a higher share of same/opposite gender high-achievers in math in primary school is related, both for boys and girls, to better/worse later math academic achievement in grade 8 and to a higher/lower probability of choosing a scientific high-school track. We argue that these results are consistent with a role model channel.

Keywords: Peer effects; early education stage; gender-specific effects (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 I24 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-07-27
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Related works:
Working Paper: A peer like me? Early exposure to high achievers in math and later educational outcomes (2021)
Working Paper: A Peer Like Me? Early Exposure to High Achievers in Math and Later Educational Outcomes (2021)
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