Les camarades influencent-ils la réussite et le parcours des élèves ?

Summary Claudine Pirus MENJ-DEPP, Bureau des études statistiques sur les élèves 23 In education, peer effects result from the different types of interactions between students, within the same class or school. However, characterizing the nature and measuring the extent of these interactions poses substantial methodological problems. This article aims to present the difficulties of measuring peer effects in education, as well as the results of research on them in primary and secondary education. Within a school, students are influenced by the socioeconomic composition and academic level of their peers. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds, or who are struggling academically, tend to be more susceptible to these effects. Because of such effects, segregation between and within schools is likely to exacerbate educational inequalities. However, research findings on peer effects are not consistent. M easuring and understanding the influence of our colleagues, friends and neighbors on our behaviour and socio-professional pathway is a theme that concerns several disciplinary fields and has been the subject of much research. Moreover, this theme raises important problems of statistical methodology. Indeed, while it is easy to show a correlation between a person's behavior (in terms of consumption, schooling, etc.).