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All Eyes on the Nerd? The Unequal Distribution of Teachers’ Attention

Author

Listed:
  • Goulas, Sofoklis

    (Yale University)

  • Megalokonomou, Rigissa

    (Monash University)

  • Sartori, Tommaso

    (Monash University)

Abstract

Teachers play a central role in shaping how students benefit from peers, yet little is known about how classroom composition affects their attention-allocation decisions. We conduct a large-scale randomized experiment using realistic class- room vignettes to assess how teachers engage with students under varying scenarios and objectives. The presence of a high achiever reduces the likelihood that teachers engage with a low achiever by about 8%, with substantially larger effects when teachers prioritize task success, consistent with convenience-based decision-making. Using administrative data, we show that low achievers perform worse when quasi-randomly assigned to a classroom with an exceptional student.

Suggested Citation

  • Goulas, Sofoklis & Megalokonomou, Rigissa & Sartori, Tommaso, 2025. "All Eyes on the Nerd? The Unequal Distribution of Teachers’ Attention," IZA Discussion Papers 18294, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18294
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sofoklis Goulas & Silvia Griselda & Rigissa Megalokonomou, 2024. "Comparative Advantage and Gender Gap in STEM," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 59(6), pages 1937-1980.
    2. Sacerdote, Bruce, 2011. "Peer Effects in Education: How Might They Work, How Big Are They and How Much Do We Know Thus Far?," Handbook of the Economics of Education, in: Erik Hanushek & Stephen Machin & Ludger Woessmann (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Education, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 4, pages 249-277, Elsevier.
    3. Goulas, Sofoklis & Griselda, Silvia & Megalokonomou, Rigissa & Zenou, Yves, 2024. "Disruptive Peers and Academic Performance: Short- and Long-Term Outcomes," CEPR Discussion Papers 19793, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    4. Benjamin Elsner & Ingo E Isphording & Ulf Zölitz, 2021. "Achievement Rank Affects Performance and Major Choices in College [Gender, competitiveness, and socialization at a young age: evidence from a matrilineal and a patriarchal society]," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(640), pages 3182-3206.
    5. Megalokonomou, Rigissa & Zhang, Yi, 2024. "How good am I? Effects and mechanisms behind salient rank," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    6. Robert Garlick, 2018. "Academic Peer Effects with Different Group Assignment Policies: Residential Tracking versus Random Assignment," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(3), pages 345-369, July.
    7. Holt, Stephen B. & Papageorge, Nicholas W., 2016. "Who believes in me? The effect of student–teacher demographic match on teacher expectationsAuthor-Name: Gershenson, Seth," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 209-224.
    8. Benjamin Elsner & Ingo E. Isphording, 2017. "A Big Fish in a Small Pond: Ability Rank and Human Capital Investment," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 35(3), pages 787-828.
    9. Laura Pagani & Simona Comi & Federica Origo, 2021. "The Effect of School Rank on Personality Traits," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 56(4), pages 1187-1225.
    10. Arellano, M, 1987. "Computing Robust Standard Errors for Within-Groups Estimators," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 49(4), pages 431-434, November.
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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