Good or Bad? Short- versus Long-Term Effects of Multigrading on Child Achievement

Gian Paolo Barbetta, Patrick Chuard-Keller, Giuseppe Sorrenti and Gilberto Turati ()
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Patrick Chuard-Keller: University St. Gallen
Giuseppe Sorrenti: University of Amsterdam

No 22-025/V, Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers from Tinbergen Institute

Abstract: This paper studies the effect of multigrading—mixing children of different ages in the same classroom—on students’ short- versus long-term academic achievement in Italy. We cope with the endogeneity of multigrading (and class size) through an instrumental variable identification strategy based on a law that disciplines class composition. By relying on longitudinal data that follow a cohort of Italian students over their compulsory school career, we show that multigrading has a positive short-term effect on achievements. This effect fades away over time to become negative in the long run if students spend several years in a multigrade class. The analysis of mechanisms points to the fundamental role of teachers and suggests that no negative long-term effect arises when multigrade classes are taught by more experienced and motivated teachers. These results reconcile contrasting findings in the literature based on cross-sectional data and a short-term focus.

Keywords: Multigrade; Child development; Education; Class size; Peer effects (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H52 I26 I28 R53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022-03-22
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ban, nep-edu, nep-eur and nep-ure
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tin:wpaper:20220025

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