Teaching Students and Teaching Each Other: The Importance of Peer Learning for Teachers

A-Tier
Journal: American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
Year: 2009
Volume: 1
Issue: 4
Pages: 85-108

Authors (2)

C. Kirabo Jackson (Northwestern University) Elias Bruegmann (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Using longitudinal elementary school teacher and student data, we document that students have larger test score gains when their teachers experience improvements in the observable characteristics of their colleagues. Using within-school and within-teacher variation, we show that a teacher's students have larger achievement gains in math and reading when she has more effective colleagues (based on estimated value-added from an out-of-sample pre-period). Spillovers are strongest for less experienced teachers and persist over time, and historical peer quality explains away about 20 percent of the own-teacher effect, results that suggest peer learning. (JEL I21, J24, J45)

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aejapp:v:1:y:2009:i:4:p:85-108
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25