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Do Peers Affect Student Achievement In China's Secondary Schools?

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  • Steven Lehrer

Abstract

Peer effects have figured prominently in debates on school vouchers, desegregation, ability tracking and anti-poverty programs. Compelling evidence of their existence remains scarce for plaguing endogeneity issues such as selection bias and the reflection problem. This paper is among the first to firmly establish the link between peer performance and student achievement, using a unique dataset from China. We find strong evidence that peer effects exist and operate in a positive and nonlinear manner; reducing the variation of peer performance increases achievement; and our semi-parametric estimates clarify the tradeoffs facing policymakers in exploiting positive peers effects to increase future achievement.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven Lehrer, 2005. "Do Peers Affect Student Achievement In China's Secondary Schools?," Working Paper 1047, Economics Department, Queen's University.
    • Handle: RePEc:qed:wpaper:1047
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Peer Effects; Ability Grouping; Selection on observables; China; Academic performance; Teacher quality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification
    • P36 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Consumer Economics; Health; Education and Training; Welfare, Income, Wealth, and Poverty

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