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Do the disadvantaged benefit more from small classes? Evidence from a large-scale survey in Japan

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  • Hojo, Masakazu
  • Senoh, Wataru

Abstract

This study examines whether class size has heterogeneous effects for students from different socio-economic backgrounds by exploiting rich student-level data obtained from a nationwide survey in Japan. We find substantial disparities in cognitive skills among students from different socio-economic backgrounds. While the overall effect of class size on cognitive ability of ninth-grade students is small, we find that class-size reduction has a larger effect on cognitive ability of economically disadvantaged students. We find no signs related to systematic enrollment manipulation.

Suggested Citation

  • Hojo, Masakazu & Senoh, Wataru, 2019. "Do the disadvantaged benefit more from small classes? Evidence from a large-scale survey in Japan," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:japwor:v:52:y:2019:i:c:s0922142519300064
    DOI: 10.1016/j.japwor.2019.100965
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alan B. Krueger, 1999. "Experimental Estimates of Education Production Functions," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 114(2), pages 497-532.
    2. Hideo Akabayashi & Ryosuke Nakamura, 2014. "Can Small Class Policy Close the Gap? An Empirical Analysis of Class Size Effects in Japan," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 65(3), pages 253-281, September.
    3. Edwin Leuven & Hessel Oosterbeek & Marte Rønning, 2008. "Quasi‐experimental Estimates of the Effect of Class Size on Achievement in Norway," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 110(4), pages 663-693, December.
    4. Miguel Urquiola, 2006. "Identifying Class Size Effects in Developing Countries: Evidence from Rural Bolivia," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 88(1), pages 171-177, February.
    5. Hojo, Masakazu, 2013. "Class-size effects in Japanese schools: A spline regression approach," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 120(3), pages 583-587.
    6. McCrary, Justin, 2008. "Manipulation of the running variable in the regression discontinuity design: A density test," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 142(2), pages 698-714, February.
    7. Joshua D. Angrist & Victor Lavy, 1999. "Using Maimonides' Rule to Estimate the Effect of Class Size on Scholastic Achievement," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 114(2), pages 533-575.
    8. Yona Rubinstein & James J. Heckman, 2001. "The Importance of Noncognitive Skills: Lessons from the GED Testing Program," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(2), pages 145-149, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ito, Hirotake & Nakamuro, Makiko & Yamaguchi, Shintaro, 2020. "Effects of class-size reduction on cognitive and non-cognitive skills," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    2. Naoi, Michio & Akabayashi, Hideo & Nakamura, Ryosuke & Nozaki, Kayo & Sano, Shinpei & Senoh, Wataru & Shikishima, Chizuru, 2021. "Causal effects of family income on educational investment and child outcomes: Evidence from a policy reform in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    3. Matej Opatrny & Tomas Havranek & Zuzana Irsova & Milan Scasny, 2023. "Publication Bias and Model Uncertainty in Measuring the Effect of Class Size on Achievement," Working Papers IES 2023/19, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies, revised May 2023.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education; Class size; Academic achievement; Japan;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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