Heat and Learning

摘要

We provide the first evidence that cumulative heat exposure inhibits cognitive skill development and that defensive investments such as school air conditioning may mitigate this effect. Our findings imply that the physiological impacts of heat directly interfere with learning. This work highlights the understudied role that students' and teachers' physical environments play in generating educational outcomes. It also highlights the extent to which disparities in such physical environments contribute to inequality in educational outcomes such as the racial achievement gap. The results allow us to estimate the value of one potential public investment, school air conditioning, that may help reduce such gaps.