Fanny Landaud, CY Cergy, Paris University

"Fostering Diverse Classroom Interactions: Evidence from a Peer-Learning Intervention"

Abstract

Data on friendship networks consistently reveal a pervasive pattern: individuals tend to form friendships with those who are similar to them. This phenomenon, known as homophily, emerges from an early age at school and raises important concerns for both equity and efficiency. This paper examines, through a randomized controlled trial, whether teachers can expand and diversify students' networks by adopting a peer-learning platform. We further investigate the role of networks in shaping classroom climate and student well-being. Our findings show that adopting a peer-learning platform significantly increases both the number and diversity of classroom interactions, leading to positive effects on friendship networks, bullying reduction, confidence, and overall well-being. These benefits are particularly pronounced for disadvantaged students

Fanny Landaud is a CNRS researcher at CY Cergy Paris University.

Fanny's main areas of interests include labor, education, family, and health economics. She is particularly interested in understanding the causes and consequences of socioeconomic and gender inequalities in education and on the labor market.

Before joining CNRS and THEMA CY Cergy Paris University, Fanny received a Ph.D. in economics at the Paris School of Economics, she did a postdoc at the Norwegian School of Economics in the Centre for Experimental Research on Fairness, Inequality and Rationality (FAIR), and at INSEAD in the Stone Centre for the Study of Wealth Inequality.

You can read more about Fanny Laundaud here.

CEBI host: Miriam Wüst.