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Disruptive Peers and Academic Performance: Short- and Long-Term Outcomes

Author

Listed:
  • Sofoklis Goulas

    (Brookings Institution, Economic Studies, and IZA)

  • Silvia Griselda

    (e61 Institution)

  • Rigissa Megalokonomou

    (Department of Economics, Australia, IZA, and CESifo)

  • Yves Zenou

    (Monash University, Department of Economics, Australia, CEPR, and IZA)

Abstract

How do disruptive peers shape academic and career paths? We examine this question by leveraging the random assignment of students to classrooms in Greece and identifying the effects of peer disruptiveness on academic performance and career paths. Using suspension hours as a measure of disruptiveness, we find that students assigned to more disruptive classrooms have lower academic achievement, a higher risk of grade retention, and reduced likelihood of graduating from high school on time. They are also less likely to pursue competitive STEM fields or enroll in selective postsecondary programs. The adverse effects are more pronounced for students from low-income areas, in larger classrooms, or with fewer female peers. Using a lab-in-the-field experiment, we find that exposure to multiple disruptors, compared to just one, reduces students’ study motivation, college aspirations, and readiness for science studies and careers, especially for those seated closer to disruptive peers.

Suggested Citation

  • Sofoklis Goulas & Silvia Griselda & Rigissa Megalokonomou & Yves Zenou, 2024. "Disruptive Peers and Academic Performance: Short- and Long-Term Outcomes," Monash Economics Working Papers 2024-21, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:mos:moswps:2024-21
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    disruption; suspension; random classroom assignment; high school graduation; STEM careers;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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