Abstract
In literature, the analysis of the influence of the environmental context on individual choices and behaviors, with particular reference to areas related to school and academic education, is usually performed through the methodology of peer effects. In this study, after presenting a brief overview on this approach, we propose a procedure for the analysis of the dependence of students’ academic performances on the contextual effects, determined by the sociometric ties observed between them, and by the subsequent division of the network into groups, using the linear-in-mean model for social interactions. This procedure is then applied to real data, collected in a second level degree course of the university of Rome Tor Vergata, for the construction of some models on student academic achievement. Empirical evidence suggests that peer effects are a significant determinant of performance, and that they identify explanatory aspects of individual achievement, that usual regressors are not able to catch.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baltagi B.H.: A companion to theoretical econometrics. Blackwell Publishing, Malden (2003)
Bramoullé Y., Djebbari H., Fortin B.: Identification of peer effects through social networks. J. Econ. 150, 41–55 (2009)
Bratti M., McKnight A., Naylor R., Smith J.: Higher education outcomes, graduate employment and university performance indicators. J. Royal Stat. Soc.: Series A 167(3), 475–496 (2004)
Calvo-Armengol A., Patacchini E., Zenou Y.: Peer effects and social network in education. Rev. Econ. Stud. 76, 1239–1267 (2009)
Cohen-Cole E., Fletcher J.M.: Is obesity contagious? Social networks vs. environmental factors in the obesity epidemic. J. Health Econ. 27, 1382–1387 (2008)
Duncan G.J., Boisjoly J., Kremer M., Levy D.M., Eccles J.: Peer effects in drug use and sex among college students. J. Abnormal Child Psychol. 33(3), 375–385 (2005)
Eggens L., van der Werf M.P.C., Bosker R.J.: The influence of personal networks and social support on study attainment of students in university education. High. Educ. 55, 553–573 (2008)
Friesen J., Krauth B.: Sorting and inequality in Canadian schools. J. Public Econ. 91, 2185–2212 (2007)
Gleaser E., Sacerdote B., Scheinkman J.: Crime and social interactions. Q. J. Econ 111(2), 507–548 (1996)
Graham B.S., Hahn J.: Identification and estimation of the linear-in-means model of social interactions. Econ. Lett. 88(1), 1–6 (2005)
Grilli L., Rampichini C.: Multilevel models for the evaluation of educational institutions: a review. In: Bini, D., Monari, M., Piccolo, D., Salmaso, L. (eds) Statistical methods and models for the evaluation of educational services and product’s quality, Springer, Berlin and Heidelberg (2009)
Hanushek E.A., Kain J.F., Markman J.M., Rivkin S.G.: Does peer ability affect atudent achievement?. J. Appl. Econom. 18, 527–544 (2003)
ISTAT: Orientarsi con la Statistica: Università e Lavoro 2009 [Electronic Version], retrieved April 24, 2010, from http://www.istat.it/lavoro/unilav/unilav_2009.pdf (2009)
Jansen E.P.W.A.: The influence of curriculum organization on study progress in higher education. High. Educ. 47(4), 411–435 (2003)
Lee L.: Identification and estimation of spatial econometric models with group interactions, contextual factors and fixed effects. J. Econom. 140(2), 333–374 (2004)
Lin, X.: Peer effects and student academic achievement: an pplication of spatial autoregressive model with group unobservables, Retrieved on line on November 8, 2010 from http://economics.ca/2005/papers/0350.pdf (2007)
Lundborg P.: Having the wrong friends? Peer effects in adolescent substance use. J. Health Econ. 25, 214–233 (2006)
Manski C.F.: Identification of endogenous social effects: the reflection problem. Rev. Econ. Stud. 60(3), 531–542 (1993)
Marmaros D., Sacerdote B.: Peer andsocial networks in job search. Eur. Econ. Rev. 46, 870–879 (2002)
McEwan P.J.: Peer effects on student achievement: evidence from Chile. Econ. Educ. Rev. 22, 131–141 (2003)
Mora T., Escardibul J.O.: Schooling effects on undergraduate performance: evidence from the University of Barcelona. High. Educ. 56, 519–532 (2007)
Patacchini E., Zenou Y.: The strength of weak ties in crime. Eur. Econ. Rev. 52, 209–236 (2008)
Sacerdote B.: Peer effects with random assignment: results for Dartmouth roommates. Q. J. Econ 116(2), 681–704 (2001)
Schneeweis N., Winter-Ebmer R.: Peer effects in Austrian schools. Empir. Econ. 32, 387–409 (2007)
Stinebrickner R., Stinebrickner T.R.: What can be learned about peer effects using college roommates? Evidence from new survey data and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. J. Public Econ. 90, 1435–1454 (2006)
Sund K.: Estimating peer effects in Swedish high school using school, teacher, and student fixed effects. Econ. Educ. Review 28, 329–336 (2009)
Trogdon J.G., Nonnemaker J., Winter-Ebmer R.: Peer effects in adolescent overweight. J. Health Econ. 27(5), 1388–1399 (2008)
Wasserman S., Faust K.: Social network analysis: methods and applications. Cambridge University Press, New York (1994)
Xie Y., Ke F., Sharma P.: The effect of peer feedback for blogging on college students’ reflective learning processes. Internet High. Educ. 11, 18–25 (2008)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Celant, S. The analysis of students’ academic achievement: the evaluation of peer effects through relational links. Qual Quant 47, 615–631 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-011-9536-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-011-9536-8