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Peer Effects and Policy: The Relationship between Classroom Gender Composition and Student Achievement in Early Elementary School

Peer Effects and Policy: The Relationship between Classroom Gender Composition and Student... Abstract The existence of gender peer effects has been well-documented, yet regarding estimates that are best-suited for policy formation, the literature finds somewhat mixed results. This article builds on the gender peer effects literature in a number of ways. First, we focus on early elementary school students, for which fewer studies exist. We also test whether effects in early elementary grades are subject-specific. Contrary to findings for older grade levels, we find that estimates by gender are subject-specific for the early elementary grades. Second, previous studies using similar estimation have focused on very different geographical areas, while this study makes use of nationally representative elementary school data for the United States. Third, we explore whether effects vary across grades, for which the existing literature finds mixed results. We find that the negative subject-specific effects of having a higher proportion of boys in the classroom increases in magnitude across grades, with insignificant effects in kindergarten, negative and significant by first grade, and larger negative and significant effects by third grade. Our findings suggest that a more balanced gender mix in the classroom is optimal for both reading and math comprehension for both boys and girls. However, regarding math performance, there is also suggestive evidence that a 100% separation of genders could improve girls’ math performance without consequences for boys’ math performance, motivating further research into single-gender subject-specific instruction. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy de Gruyter

Peer Effects and Policy: The Relationship between Classroom Gender Composition and Student Achievement in Early Elementary School

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Publisher
de Gruyter
Copyright
Copyright © 2014 by the
ISSN
2194-6108
eISSN
1935-1682
DOI
10.1515/bejeap-2013-0123
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract The existence of gender peer effects has been well-documented, yet regarding estimates that are best-suited for policy formation, the literature finds somewhat mixed results. This article builds on the gender peer effects literature in a number of ways. First, we focus on early elementary school students, for which fewer studies exist. We also test whether effects in early elementary grades are subject-specific. Contrary to findings for older grade levels, we find that estimates by gender are subject-specific for the early elementary grades. Second, previous studies using similar estimation have focused on very different geographical areas, while this study makes use of nationally representative elementary school data for the United States. Third, we explore whether effects vary across grades, for which the existing literature finds mixed results. We find that the negative subject-specific effects of having a higher proportion of boys in the classroom increases in magnitude across grades, with insignificant effects in kindergarten, negative and significant by first grade, and larger negative and significant effects by third grade. Our findings suggest that a more balanced gender mix in the classroom is optimal for both reading and math comprehension for both boys and girls. However, regarding math performance, there is also suggestive evidence that a 100% separation of genders could improve girls’ math performance without consequences for boys’ math performance, motivating further research into single-gender subject-specific instruction.

Journal

The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy – de Gruyter

Published: Jul 1, 2014

References

  • Does Delaying Kindergarten Entrance Give Children a Head Start?
    Datar
  • Research on Same-Gender Grouping in Eighth Grade Science Classrooms
    Friend
  • Separated by Sex critical Look at Single - Sex Education for Girls The American Association of University Women Educational Foundation
    Morse
  • Peer Effects in European Primary Schools: Evidence from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study
    Ammermueller
  • Spillover Effects of Inclusion of Classmates with Emotional Problems on Test Scores in Early Elementary School
    Fletcher
  • Educational Production
    Lazear
  • A Teacher like Me: Does Race, Ethnicity, or Gender Matter?
    Dee
  • Teachers and the Gender Gaps in Student Achievement
    Dee