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Effect of relative age in the first grade of primary school on long-term scholastic results: international comparative evidence using PISA 2003

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  • Maresa Sprietsma

Abstract

In this paper, we estimate the effect of pupil's relative age within the first grade of primary school on mathematics and reading test scores at age 15. The main objective is to evaluate the long-term causal effect of relative age in the first grades of primary school on pupil's test in 16 different countries. We use the national rule for admission to primary school to construct the predicted relative age of each pupil. We find that relative age at the start of primary school has a significant positive effect on test scores in about one-half of the considered countries and regions. Moreover, we identify some of the channels through which the effect occurs.

Suggested Citation

  • Maresa Sprietsma, 2010. "Effect of relative age in the first grade of primary school on long-term scholastic results: international comparative evidence using PISA 2003," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 1-32.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:edecon:v:18:y:2010:i:1:p:1-32
    DOI: 10.1080/09645290802201961
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    Cited by:

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    4. Mladen Stamenković & Ivan Anić & Marijana Petrović & Nataša Bojković, 2016. "An ELECTRE approach for evaluating secondary education profiles: evidence from PISA survey in Serbia," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 245(1), pages 337-358, October.
    5. Herbert Dawid & Gerd Muehlheusser, 2012. "Repeated Selection with Heterogenous Individuals and Relative Age Effects," CESifo Working Paper Series 3786, CESifo.
    6. Claire Crawford & Lorraine Dearden & Ellen Greaves, 2013. "The impact of age within academic year on adult outcomes," DoQSS Working Papers 13-05, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.
    7. Dawid, Herbert & Muehlheusser, Gerd, 2015. "Repeated selection with heterogeneous individuals and relative age effects," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 387-406.
    8. Fumarco Luca & Carlsson Magnus & Gibbs Benjamin G., 2020. "Erasmus Exchange Program – A Matter of (Relatively) Older Students," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 20(4), pages 1-14, October.
    9. Caterina Calsamiglia & Annalisa Loviglio, 2020. "Maturity and school outcomes in an inflexible system: evidence from Catalonia," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 11(1), pages 1-49, March.
    10. Fumarco, Luca & Baert, Stijn, 2019. "Relative age effect on European adolescents’ social network," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 318-337.
    11. Pedraja-Chaparro, Francisco & Santín, Daniel & Simancas, Rosa, 2015. "Determinants of grade retention in France and Spain: Does birth month matter?," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 820-834.
    12. Martins, Luis & Pereira, Manuel C, 2017. "Disentangling the channels from birthdate to educational attainment," MPRA Paper 80607, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 04 Aug 2017.
    13. Fumarco, Luca & Baert, Stijn, 2018. "Younger and Dissatisfied? Relative Age and Life-satisfaction in Adolescence," GLO Discussion Paper Series 278, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    14. Peña, Pablo A., 2017. "Creating winners and losers: Date of birth, relative age in school, and outcomes in childhood and adulthood," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 152-176.
    15. Rubén Navarro-Patón & Joaquín Lago-Ballesteros & Víctor Arufe-Giráldez & Alberto Sanmiguel-Rodríguez & Carlos Lago-Fuentes & Marcos Mecías-Calvo, 2021. "Gender Differences on Motor Competence in 5-Year-Old Preschool Children Regarding Relative Age," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-10, March.
    16. Ryan, Chris, 2013. "What is behind the decline in student achievement in Australia?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 226-239.
    17. Peña, Pablo A., 2020. "Relative age and investment in human capital," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    18. Jorge Lorenzo-Calvo & Alfonso de la Rubia & Daniel Mon-López & Monica Hontoria-Galán & Moises Marquina & Santiago Veiga, 2021. "Prevalence and Impact of the Relative Age Effect on Competition Performance in Swimming: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-19, October.
    19. Yulia Tyumeneva & Yulia Kuzmina, 2012. "The Effect of One Extra Year of Schooling on Pisa Results: a Case of Countries with Different Tracking Systems," HSE Working papers WP BRP 08/EDU/2012, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    20. Eduard Nikolayevich Bezuglov & Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis & Vladimir Khaitin & Elvira Usmanova & Anastasiya Luibushkina & Alexey Repetiuk & Zbigniew Waśkiewicz & Dagmara Gerasimuk & Thomas Rosemann, 2019. "Prevalence of Relative Age Effect in Russian Soccer: The Role of Chronological Age and Performance," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-10, October.
    21. Diaz-Serrano, Luis & Meix-Llop, Enric, 2012. "Do Fiscal and Political Decentralization Raise Students' Performance? A Cross-Country Analysis," IZA Discussion Papers 6722, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    pupil performance; relative age; international comparison;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I29 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Other
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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