Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/232690 
Year of Publication: 
2020
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 13938
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Studying with higher ability peers increases student performance, yet we have little idea why. We exploit random assignment of students to classrooms and find positive peer effects on test scores. With rich data on nineteen potential mechanisms, we then estimate how effects on attitudes, parents, and teachers could drive these results. Higher-achieving peers reduce student effort, increase student university aspirations, increase parental time investments and parental strictness, and have precise null effects elsewhere. None of these mechanisms, however, explain our peer effect on test scores. Our results highlight promising avenues for understanding ability peer effects.
Subjects: 
random assignment
standardized test
parental investments
school inputs
mediation analysis
JEL: 
I23
I26
D13
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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