Effects of temperature on the relative performance of Colombian students in 9th and 11th grade State examinations
No. 103 | 2026-08-31Author(s)
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Jesús Rodríguez de LuqueUniversidad de La SalleORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8179-0109
Abstract
Over the past few decades, growing attention has been paid to the impact of air temperature on academic performance. However, few studies have examined a broad range of temperatures in tropical countries or addressed the issue of omitted variables at the student level. This study analyzes the effects of variations in the frequency of low, medium, and high temperatures on the relative academic achievement in mathematics and reading tests in 9th and 11th grade public examinations in Colombia. To do so, I estimated regression models with student and year fixed effects. The findings indicate that relative achievement in both mathematics and reading declines as the frequency of days with average temperatures above 26.6ºC increases during the 12 months preceding the examination dates. These results underscore the importance of implementing adaptation strategies to protect students from the adverse effects of high temperatures.
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