Educational Equity: Social Interactions Might

This paper discusses the importance of social interactions at the school and classroom level (the so-called peer effects) as determinants of achievement. It comments on the results of a statistical analysis aimed at estimating the impact of peer effects on science and math test scores. The study is based on the Third International Mathematics ans Science Study (TIMSS) created in 1995 by the International Education Agency (IEA) for grade 7 and 8 students across OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries. This Study confirms the importance of peer effects, but also explores the nature of peer effects as it reviews different theories about their modus operandi