Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP10042
Authors: Antonio Ciccone; Walter Garciafontes
Abstract: We propose estimating gender peer effects in school by exploiting within-school variation in gender composition across birth cohorts. Our approach differs from the existing literature, which exploits variation in gender composition at a given grade level in different years. We argue that the birth cohort approach is a useful alternative as the grade level approach generally yields spurious gender peer effects when there is grade retention. The birth cohort approach applied to primary schools in Spain indicates statistically significant positive gender peer effects of girls on boys? academic achievement and statistically insignificant effects of girls on girls? achievement.
Keywords: gender; grade retention; peer effects; school
JEL Codes: I20
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| share of girls in a birth cohort (J19) | boys' academic achievement (I24) |
| share of girls in a birth cohort (J19) | girls' academic achievement (I24) |
| grade retention (I24) | spurious results in gender peer effects (C92) |
| birth cohort approach (J11) | spurious gender peer effects (C92) |