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Can ethnic diversity have a positive effect on school achievement?

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  • Virginia Maestri

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of ethnic diversity on test scores, on top of the effect of the share of non-native pupils. We use a rich survey of Dutch primary school students and exploit variations between subsequent cohorts within the same school as our identification strategy. We find that ethnic diversity has a positive impact on the test scores of minority students, in particular for language skills. We also find some evidence of a negative relationship between ethnic diversity and school social integration. We suggest that ethnic diversity stimulates language proficiency and increases the time students spend studying.

Suggested Citation

  • Virginia Maestri, 2017. "Can ethnic diversity have a positive effect on school achievement?," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(3), pages 290-303, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:edecon:v:25:y:2017:i:3:p:290-303
    DOI: 10.1080/09645292.2016.1238879
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    Cited by:

    1. Asako Ohinata & Jan C. Ours, 2016. "Quantile Peer Effects of Immigrant Children at Primary Schools," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 30(2), pages 135-157, June.
    2. Chevalier, Arnaud & Isphording, Ingo E. & Lisauskaite, Elena, 2020. "Peer diversity, college performance and educational choices," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    3. Chareyron, Sylvain & Chung, Amélie & Domingues, Patrick, 2021. "Ethnic diversity and educational success: Evidence from France," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(2), pages 133-143.
    4. Ohinata, A. & van Ours, J.C., 2013. "Spillover Effects of Studying with Immigrant Students : A Quantile Regression Approach," Discussion Paper 2013-058, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    5. Frattini, Tommaso & Meschi, Elena, 2019. "The effect of immigrant peers in vocational schools," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1-22.
    6. Jürges, Hendrik & Makles, Anna M. & Naghavi, Arash & Schneider, Kerstin, 2022. "Melting pot kindergarten: The effect of linguistic diversity in early education," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    7. Katarzyna Lukaniszyn-Domaszewska, 2021. "Minority Groups as Socio-Economic Development Factor of the Emerging EU Region in the Opinion of Regional Authorities: Evidence from Poland and the German Minority," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(1), pages 507-521.
    8. Julia Bredtmann & Sebastian Otten & Christina Vonnahme, 2021. "Linguistic diversity in the classroom, student achievement, and social integration," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 121-142, March.
    9. De Paola, Maria & Brunello, Giorgio, 2016. "Education as a Tool for the Economic Integration of Migrants," IZA Discussion Papers 9836, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. George N Okoli & Otto L T Lam & Florentin Racovitan & Viraj K Reddy & Christiaan H Righolt & Christine Neilson & Ayman Chit & Edward Thommes & Ahmed M Abou-Setta & Salaheddin M Mahmud, 2020. "Seasonal influenza vaccination in older people: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the determining factors," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(6), pages 1-26, June.
    11. Ciarán Murphy, 2022. "The Effect of School Diversity on Academic Performance," Economics Department Working Paper Series n318-22.pdf, Department of Economics, National University of Ireland - Maynooth.
    12. Ohinata, Asako & van Ours, Jan C., 2013. "Spillover Effects of Studying with Immigrant Students: A Quantile Regression Approach," IZA Discussion Papers 7720, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Sjaak Braster & Jaap Dronkers, 2013. "The positive effects of ethnic diversity in class on the educational performance of pupils in a multi-ethnic European metropole," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1318, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    14. van Ours, Jan C. & Ohinata, Asako, 2013. "Spillover effects of studying with immigrant students; a quantile regression approach," CEPR Discussion Papers 9736, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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