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International Evidence on Teacher Cognitive Skills and Student Performance

Author

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  • Eric A. Hanushek
  • Marc Piopiunik
  • Simon Wiederhold

Abstract

Differences in teacher quality are commonly cited as a key determinant of the huge international student performance gaps. However, convincing evidence on this relationship is still lacking, in part because it is unclear how to measure teacher quality consistently across countries. We use unique international assessment data to investigate the role of teacher cognitive skills as one main dimension of teacher quality in explaining student outcomes. Our main identification strategy exploits exogenous variation in teacher cognitive skills attributable to international differences in relative wages of non-teacher public sector employees. Using student-level test score data, we find that teacher cognitive skills are an important determinant of international differences in student performance. Results are supported by fixed-effects estimation that uses within-country between-subject variation in teacher skills.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric A. Hanushek & Marc Piopiunik & Simon Wiederhold, 2014. "International Evidence on Teacher Cognitive Skills and Student Performance," CID Working Papers 63, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    • Handle: RePEc:cid:wpfacu:63
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Marchand, Joseph & Weber, Jeremy, 2017. "The Local Effects of the Texas Shale Boom on Schools, Students, and Teachers," Working Papers 2017-12, University of Alberta, Department of Economics, revised 31 Jan 2019.
    2. Ruhose, Jens & Schwerdt, Guido, 2016. "Does early educational tracking increase migrant-native achievement gaps? Differences-in-differences evidence across countries," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 134-154.
    3. Ludger Woessmann, 2016. "The Importance of School Systems: Evidence from International Differences in Student Achievement," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 30(3), pages 3-32, Summer.
    4. Bart H. H. Golsteyn & Stan Vermeulen & Inge Wolf, 2016. "Teacher Literacy and Numeracy Skills: International Evidence from PIAAC and ALL," De Economist, Springer, vol. 164(4), pages 365-389, December.
    5. Han, Seong Won, 2018. "School-based teacher hiring and achievement inequality: A comparative perspective," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 82-91.
    6. Anna Thum-Thysen & Rossella Cravetto & Jan Varchola, 2021. "Investing in People’s Competences A Cornerstone for Growth and Wellbeing in the EU," European Economy - Discussion Papers 139, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    7. Ralph Hippe & Luisa De Sousa Lobo Borges de Araujo & Patricia Dinis Mota da Costa, 2016. "Equity in Education in Europe," JRC Research Reports JRC104595, Joint Research Centre (Seville site).
    8. Eric A. Hanushek & Elizabeth Ettema, 2017. "Defining Productivity in Education: Issues and Illustrations," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 62(2), pages 165-183, October.
    9. De Ree,Joppe Jaitze, 2016. "How much teachers know and how much it matters in class : analyzing three rounds of subject-specific test score data of Indonesian students and teachers," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7556, The World Bank.
    10. Cordero, José Manuel & Gil, María & Pedraja Chaparro, Francisco, 2016. "Exploring the effect of financial literacy courses on student achievement: a cross-country approach using PISA 2012 data," MPRA Paper 75474, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Lisa Grazzini, 2016. "The Importance of the Quality of Education: Some Determinants and its Effects on Earning Returns and Economic Growth," ECONOMIA PUBBLICA, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2016(2), pages 43-82.
    12. Cordero, Jose M. & Gil-Izquierdo, María, 2018. "The effect of teaching strategies on student achievement: An analysis using TALIS-PISA-link," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 1313-1331.
    13. Gjefsen, Hege Marie & Gunnes, Trude, 2016. "The effects of School Accountability on Teacher Mobility and Teacher Sorting," MPRA Paper 69664, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Loredana Manasia & Maria Gratiela Ianos & Teodora Daniela Chicioreanu, 2019. "Pre-Service Teacher Preparedness for Fostering Education for Sustainable Development: An Empirical Analysis of Central Dimensions of Teaching Readiness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-24, December.
    15. José M. Cordero & Víctor Cristóbal & Daniel Santín, 2018. "Causal Inference On Education Policies: A Survey Of Empirical Studies Using Pisa, Timss And Pirls," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 878-915, July.
    16. O. D. Marcenaro-Gutierrez & M. Luque & L. A. Lopez-Agudo, 2016. "Balancing Teachers’ Math Satisfaction and Other Indicators of the Education System’s Performance," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 129(3), pages 1319-1348, December.
    17. Ilya Prakhov & Denis Sergienko, 2017. "Matching between Students and Universities: What are the Sources of Inequalities of Access to Higher Education?," HSE Working papers WP BRP 45/EDU/2017, National Research University Higher School of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    teacher cognitive skills; student performance; instrumental variable; PIAAC; PISA;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • H40 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - General
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education

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