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Immigrant student performance in Math: Does it matter where you come from?

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  • Giannelli, Gianna Claudia
  • Rapallini, Chiara

Abstract

The performance gap in math of immigrant students is investigated using PISA 2012. The gap with respect to non-immigrant schoolmates is first measured. The hypotheses that first (second) generation students coming from (whose parents come from) countries with a higher performance in math fare better than their immigrant peers coming from lower-ranked countries are then tested on a sample of about 13,000 immigrant students. The estimated average immigrant-native score gap in math amounts to −12 points. The results show that immigrant students coming from higher-ranked origin countries have a significantly lower score gap, and are thus relatively less disadvantaged. For example, coming from a country in the top quintile for math and having attended school there for one year improves the absolute score gap by more than 33 points, the highest coefficient among the variables that reduce the gap, such as parental education and socio-economic status.

Suggested Citation

  • Giannelli, Gianna Claudia & Rapallini, Chiara, 2016. "Immigrant student performance in Math: Does it matter where you come from?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 291-304.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:52:y:2016:i:c:p:291-304
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2016.03.006
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    2. 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.
    3. Vonnahme, Christina, 2021. "Do migrant-native achievement gaps narrow? Evidence over the school career," Ruhr Economic Papers 932, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    4. Björn NILSSON, 2019. "Education and migration: insights for policymakers," Working Paper 23ca9c54-061a-4d60-967c-f, Agence française de développement.
    5. De Paola, Maria & Brunello, Giorgio, 2016. "Education as a Tool for the Economic Integration of Migrants," IZA Discussion Papers 9836, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Jaai Parasnis & Jemma Swan, 2017. "Differences in educational attainment by country of origin: Evidence from Australia," Monash Economics Working Papers 05-17, Monash University, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mathematical skills; Migration; Countries of origin;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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