Seminario IECON | Adolescent Behavior, Learning, and Knowledge Diffusion: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment

We evaluate a program that transfers the responsibility for establishing behavioral norms from teachers to students. Covering over 7,500 adolescents in 127 Bangladeshi middle schools, we find that the program improves the classroom social climate, fostering cooperation and stronger peer support networks. High-performing students emerge as primary beneficiaries, exhibiting substantial academic gains that persist 1.5 years later. Although social climate improvements fade over time, academic gains extend to more students but remain concentrated among higher-ability peers. Strengthened academic support networks among these students underpin the lasting effects, showing how student-led behavior management enhances learning and knowledge diffusion within the classroom.

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