Religious practice and student performance: Evidence from Ramadan fasting

Arbeitspapier

We investigate how the intensity of Ramadan affects educational outcomes by exploiting spatio-temporal variation in annual fasting hours. Longer fasting hours are related to increases in student performance in a panel of TIMMS test scores (1995-2019) across Muslim countries but not other countries. Results are confirmed in a panel of PISA test scores (2003-2018) allowing within country-wave comparisons of Muslim to non-Muslim students across Europe. We provide evidence consistent with the hypothesis that a demanding Ramadan during adolescence affects educational performance by facilitating formation of social capital and social identity via increased religious participation and shared experiences among students.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Working Paper Series ; No. 06

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Politik ; Analysis of Education ; Cultural Economics: Religion ; Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity ; Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
• Subject: Education ; Religion ; Religious Participation ; Ramadan ; Social Identity ; Social Capital ; PISA ; TIMMS

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Hornung, Erik ; Schwerdt, Guido ; Strazzeri, Maurizio
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): University of Konstanz, Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality"
• (where): Konstanz
• (when): 2021

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/247427
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:352-2-1w6bx8nklnlux4
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET