@TechReport{iza:izadps:dp14769,
            	author={Hornung, Erik and Schwerdt, Guido and Strazzeri, Maurizio},
            	title={Religious Practice and Student Performance: Evidence from Ramadan Fasting},
            	year={2021},
	month={Oct},
            	institution={Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)},
            	address={Bonn},
            	type={IZA Discussion Paper},
            	number={14769},
            	url={https://www.iza.org/publications/dp14769},
	abstract={We investigate how the intensity of Ramadan affects educational outcomes by exploiting spatio-temporal variation in annual fasting hours. Longer fasting hours are related to increases in student performance in a panel of TIMMS test scores (1995–2019) across Muslim countries but not other countries. Results are confirmed in a panel of PISA test scores (2003–2018) allowing within country-wave comparisons of Muslim to non-Muslim students across Europe. We provide evidence consistent with the hypothesis that a demanding Ramadan during adolescence affects educational performance by facilitating formation of social capital and social identity via increased religious participation and shared experiences among students.},
	keywords={education;religion;religious participation;Ramadan;social identity;social capital;PISA;TIMMS},
            }