Student Performance, Peer Effects, and Friend Networks: Evidence from a Randomized Peer Intervention
- (pp. 510-42)
Abstract
We estimate the effects of an educational peer intervention in which previously high- and low-achieving students are randomly paired as deskmates in elementary schools in China. Our treatment boosts the mathematics scores of the low-achieving students. Moreover, the treatment enhances the extraversion and agreeableness of high- and low-achieving students, thereby providing evidence that peers can influence personality traits. The positive treatment effects can be attributed to the deskmate-level peer effects. We document friend network structure changes and present additional evidence on how friendship ties help us better understand the mechanisms behind peer effects.Citation
Wu, Jia, Junsen Zhang, and Chunchao Wang. 2023. "Student Performance, Peer Effects, and Friend Networks: Evidence from a Randomized Peer Intervention." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 15 (1): 510-42. DOI: 10.1257/pol.20200563Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I21 Analysis of Education
- I26 Returns to Education
- J24 Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
- O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
- P36 Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions: Consumer Economics; Health; Education and Training: Welfare, Income, Wealth, and Poverty
- Z13 Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification
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