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Student Performance, Peer Effects, and Friend Networks: Evidence from a Randomized Peer Intervention

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  • Jia Wu
  • Junsen Zhang
  • Chunchao Wang

Abstract

We estimate the effects of an educational peer intervention in which previously high- and low-achieving students are randomly paired as deskmates in elementary schools in China. Our treatment boosts the mathematics scores of the low-achieving students. Moreover, the treatment enhances the extraversion and agreeableness of high- and low-achieving students, thereby providing evidence that peers can influence personality traits. The positive treatment effects can be attributed to the deskmate-level peer effects. We document friend network structure changes and present additional evidence on how friendship ties help us better understand the mechanisms behind peer effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Jia Wu & Junsen Zhang & Chunchao Wang, 2023. "Student Performance, Peer Effects, and Friend Networks: Evidence from a Randomized Peer Intervention," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 15(1), pages 510-542, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:15:y:2023:i:1:p:510-42
    DOI: 10.1257/pol.20200563
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. van Lent, Max, 2024. "Peer Creativity and Academic Achievement," IZA Discussion Papers 16847, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Xu, Bin & Ma, Qingxuan & Yu, Qianbin, 2024. "Does the proportion of rural students affect the performance of urban students? ––Evidence from urban schools in China," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    3. Bhargava, Palaash & Chen, Daniel L. & Sutter, Matthias & Terrier, Camille, 2022. "Homophily and Transmission of Behavioral Traits in Social Networks," IZA Discussion Papers 15840, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Minahil Asim & Ronak Jain & Vatsal Khandelwal, 2024. "Great expectations? Experimental evidence from schools in Pakistan," ECON - Working Papers 454, Department of Economics - University of Zurich.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • P36 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Consumer Economics; Health; Education and Training; Welfare, Income, Wealth, and Poverty
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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