The relative age effect on teacher-rated academic competence: a study among early primary school students

Abstract

Older students tend to outperform their younger classmates on academic achievement tests, an asymmetry known as the relative age effect (RAE). In Norway, students are not formally tested in the early school years, and less is known about how the RAE impacts teacher evaluations. In this study, we investigated the RAE on teacher-rated academic competence in 2nd grade and social skills, externalizing, and internalizing problems in 1st grade. The data stem from the Behavior Outlook Norwegian Developmental Study (BONDS) and included N = 1,157 children (48.2% girls), their families and teachers. Path models were specified to investigate direct and indirect effects between the variables. The results showed a RAE on academic competence and social skills but not on externalizing and internalizing problems. Mediation analysis indicated that part of the RAE on academic competence could be attributed to students’ social skills. Implications of the findings are discussed.