Evaluating the magnitude and the stakes of peer effects analysing science and math achievement across OECD

Abstract

What follows is an exercise aimed at estimating peer effects' impact on science and math test scores of secondary school students surveyed in 1995 by the International Education Agency across OECD countries. It is also to discuss their importance for educational policy. particularly regarding the highly sensitive issue of ability-grouping. Using this unique international database. we assess the magnitude of the peer effect relative to more traditional inputs. Referring the education policy stakes, we control for the presence of increasing or decreasing return; We also check for cross effects in order to determine whether peer effects matter more to low or high SES pupils, and whether they final impact on achievement is affected by the underlying level of heterogeneity whithin the group. Using a methodology which a priori accounts for the clustering of the data within countries and schools/classrooms -i.e. fixed/random effect or hierarchichal model --our analysis indicates that peer effects are strong determinants of both math and science achievement relative to individual SES and other school inputs. The presence of increasing of decreasing returns is not obvious. But we find systematic evidence that low-ability pupils are more sensitive to peer group characteristics. By contrast, we also find that --for a given level of the peer effect --higher heterogeneity comes a certain cost. In brief, our results provide no systematic evidence regarding grouping policies.

Peer group effects on the academic performance of Italian students

“…Some of these studies show that peer effects are statistically and economically significant in a variety of educational contexts and that students tend to perform better if the quality of their peer group is higher (Ding and Lehrer, 2006;Zimmerman 2003;Vandenberghe, 2002;Hoxby, 2000;Sacerdote, 2001;Zimmer and Toma, 2000). Moreover, a number of these studies show that peer effects are often non-linear, implying that students of middle abilities are particularly affected by the negative influence of weak students (Sacerdote, 2001;Zimmerman, 2003).…”

Diversity for diversity's sake? The relationship between diversity and school-level academic achievement.

“…A great deal of research has been conducted on the effects of peers on a range of student outcomes including criminal behavior (Ludwig, Duncan, & Hirschfield, 2001), substance use (Gaviria & Raphael, 2001) and body weight (Costa-Font & Gil, 2003). Peer-effects have gained much attention as moderating variables in predicting academic achievement of students in poverty (Hanushek, Kain, Markman, & Rivkin, 2003;Kang, 2007;Malecki & Demaray, 2006;Vandenberghe, 2002). However, there is little research to guide school districts in capitalizing on the potential effects of peer socioeconomic diversity on students of low SES, if any such effects exist.…”

“…Studies of international scope, such as those by Kang (2007) and Vandenberghe (2002), have shown peer-effects to be significant moderating variables in predicting academic achievement across developed nations. In 2004, Guryan compared many school districts across the United States using the black exposure index and the dissimilarity index and found that integration reduced drop-out rates of Black students and did not significantly affect White student graduation rates.…”

“…Students who exit the education system enter the labor queue at whatever level corresponds to their level of educational attainment (high school diploma, associate's degree, etc.). The literature on the effects of peers suggests that socioeconomic and racial diversity may increase levels of educational attainment and test scores for low SES students and students of color (Ewijk & Sleegers, 2010;Guryan, 2004;Van Dorn et al, 2006;Vandenberghe, 2002). If the achievement gap between poor and minority students and their White and affluent peers is to be mitigated, and if the various hierarchies of the labor queue are to consist of a representative sample of potential workers of diverse races and socioeconomic backgrounds, then the diversity of schools may be a major factor in how education can mitigate the opportunity gap (Milner, 2010).…”

“…Education production functions and other multivariate analyses have given rise to a mix of results among study contexts. Vandenberghe (2002) investigated the magnitude of peer effects relative to other, more traditional peer-inputs to determine whether peer effects matter more for students of higher or lower SES in affecting math and science test scores across member countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Vandenberg (2002) demonstrated that low performing students were more sensitive to peer group characteristics, but greater heterogeneity in SES comes at a cost, and Vandenberg (2002) was unable to provide any evidence to guide student grouping.…”