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Encouraging classroom peer interactions: Evidence from Chinese migrant schools

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  • Li, Tao
  • Han, Li
  • Zhang, Linxiu
  • Rozelle, Scott

Abstract

In a randomized trial conducted with primary school students in China, we find that pairing high and low achieving classmates as benchmates and offering them group incentives for learning improved low achiever test scores by approximately 0.265 standard deviations without harming the high achievers. Offering only low achievers incentives for learning in a separate trial had no effect. Pure peer effects at the benchmate level are not sufficiently powerful to explain the differences between these two results. We interpret our evidence as suggesting that group incentives can increase the effectiveness of peer effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Tao & Han, Li & Zhang, Linxiu & Rozelle, Scott, 2014. "Encouraging classroom peer interactions: Evidence from Chinese migrant schools," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 29-45.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:111:y:2014:i:c:p:29-45
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2013.12.014
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    6. Havranek, Tomas & Cala, Petr & Irsova, Zuzana & Matousek, Jindrich & Novak, Jiri, 2022. "Financial Incentives and Performance: A Meta-Analysis of Economics Evidence," CEPR Discussion Papers 17680, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    7. Li, Tao & Zhou, Yisu, 2017. "Do Pay-for-Grades Programs Encourage Student Cheating? Evidence from a randomized experiment," SocArXiv ck9z6, Center for Open Science.
    8. Dong, Xiaoqi & Liang, Yinhe & Yu, Shuang, 2023. "Middle-achieving students are also my peers: The impact of peer effort on academic performance," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
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    10. Allen, James & Mahumane, Arlete & Riddell, James & Rosenblat, Tanya & Yang, Dean & Yu, Hang, 2022. "Teaching and incentives: Substitutes or complements?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    11. Shi Pu & Yu Yan & Liang Zhang, 2020. "Peers, Study Effort, and Academic Performance in College Education: Evidence from Randomly Assigned Roommates in a Flipped Classroom," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 61(2), pages 248-269, March.
    12. Poutvaara, Panu & Ropponen, Olli, 2018. "Shocking news and cognitive performance," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 93-106.
    13. Sudipto Mundle, 2018. "Fifty years of Asian experience in the spread of education and healthcare," WIDER Working Paper Series 97, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
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    15. Peters, Jörg & Langbein, Jörg & Roberts, Gareth, 2016. "Policy evaluation, randomized controlled trials, and external validity—A systematic review," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 51-54.
    16. Eric Bettinger & Nina Cunha & Guilherme Lichand & Ricardo Madeira, 2020. "Are the effects of informational interventions driven by salience?," ECON - Working Papers 350, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised May 2021.
    17. Hu, Feng, 2018. "Migrant peers in the classroom: Is the academic performance of local students negatively affected?," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 582-597.
    18. Min, Shi & Yuan, Zhouhang & Wang, Xiaobing & Hou, Lingling, 2019. "Do peer effects influence the academic performance of rural students at private migrant schools in China?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 418-433.
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    20. Francesca Marchetta & Tom Dilly, 2019. "Supporting Education in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges for an Impact Investor," Working Papers hal-02288103, HAL.
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