Peer Influence in Educational Reform A System Dynamics Approach

摘要

The concept of peer influence in public education is examined in the context of its effect onstudent achievement. A system dynamics model based on a positive feedback interpretationof peer influence has been developed, and applied to gain insight into claims that the conceptcan be employed in efforts to raise the academic performance of disadvantaged students.Aggregated model results are placed in context of achievement data for a large schooldistrict and used to investigate certain of the assumptions of an educational reform that iscurrently gaining popularity—the Economic Integration of Schools.