Your Move: The Effect of Chess on Mathematics Test Scores

24 Pages Posted: 12 Oct 2015

See all articles by Kamilla Gumede

Kamilla Gumede

Aarhus University

Michael Rosholm

Aarhus University - Department of Economics and Business Economics; IZA Institute of Labor Economics; Amternes og Kommunernes Forskningsinstitut (AKF)

Abstract

We analyze the effect of substituting a weekly mathematics lessons in primary school grades 1-3 with a lesson in mathematics based on chess instruction. We use data from the City of Aarhus in Denmark, combining test score data with a comprehensive data base from administrative register. We use a difference-in-differences approach to investigate treatment effects on the treated and tend to find positive effects. Looking at sub groups, we find significant positive effects for native Danish children, while we find no effects for children of immigrants.

Keywords: mathematics and chess, primary school, learning

JEL Classification: I21, I28

Suggested Citation

Gumede, Kamilla Trille and Rosholm, Michael, Your Move: The Effect of Chess on Mathematics Test Scores. IZA Discussion Paper No. 9370, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2672156 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2672156

Michael Rosholm

Aarhus University - Department of Economics and Business Economics ( email )

Fuglesangs Allé 4
Aarhus V
Denmark
+45 89 42 15 59 (Phone)
+45 86 13 63 34 (Fax)

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Amternes og Kommunernes Forskningsinstitut (AKF)

Nyropsgade 37
Copenhagen, DK-1602
Denmark

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