Positive Geographical Spillovers of Human Capital on Student Learning Outcomes
- PDF / 843,498 Bytes
- 29 Pages / 439.37 x 666.142 pts Page_size
- 93 Downloads / 198 Views
Positive Geographical Spillovers of Human Capital on Student Learning Outcomes Manuel Salas-Velasco 1 & Dolores Moreno-Herrero 1 & José Sánchez-Campillo 1 Received: 3 October 2019 / Accepted: 21 October 2020/ # Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract Human capital spillovers arise when the presence of individuals with high levels of human capital makes others more productive. If the students’ higher achievement scores are associated with human capital spillovers, a social return to education is generated. In this context, this paper developed the rationale and statistic methods for examining the association between regional human capital stocks and student learning outcomes. We used PISA data for Spain from the 2015 wave. On average, 15-year-old students scored 486 points in mathematics, but there were statistically significant differences across the 17 regions of Spain (comunidades autónomas). Three-level regression modeling showed that an extra year of region-level average schooling is associated with PISA math scores 14.5 points higher, after controlling for student and school level variables. We used mediation analysis to test whether educational expectations mediated this effect of regional human capital on student achievement. The mediation analysis showed that students who live in regions with a high prevalence of well-educated residents expect more years of education and perform better on the PISA test. This paper also found that the current expenditure per student in the different comunidades autónomas does not explain the regional differences in math performance. Keywords Human capital externalities . Geographic spillover effects . Multilevel
modeling . Student outcomes . Mediation analysis JEL Classification I210 . C50
* Manuel Salas-Velasco [email protected] Dolores Moreno-Herrero [email protected] José Sánchez-Campillo [email protected] Extended author information available on the last page of the article
M. Salas-Velasco et al.
Introduction The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) provides the most comprehensive international assessment of student learning outcomes to date. Results from PISA indicate the quality and equity of learning outcomes attained around the world, and international comparative studies have provided an arena to observe the similarities and differences between educational policies and practices (OECD 2016). However, few research papers have analyzed sub-national samples, mainly because they have not been available. This information, disaggregated by territories, is also important to study inequalities in education and how they can be identified and reduced. The latter is especially relevant if the different territories of a nation can design, manage, and implement the educational policy. This is the case of Spain where the education system is decentralized at the regional level. There are 17 regions called comunidades autónomas.1 Therefore, an analysis of differences in educational outcomes across regions in the PISA assessment is relevant. However, it was on the wa
Data Loading...
