Essays in Development Economics

Abstract

Human capital is a crucial driver of growth and economic development. This dissertation consists of three independent essays exploring determinants of human capital development in myriad settings. The first essay explores the role of friendships in explaining classroom peer effects. Using network data from Vietnamese primary schools, I find that close friendships with high-ability peers lead to significant gains in performance in standardized tests while the presence of high-ability, non-close peers do not influence learning in the classroom. Moreover, the observed effects are stronger for pupils who are themselves high-achieving. The second essay investigates whether training through mobile applications are a cost-effective alternative to traditional extension services. I answer this question using a randomized experiment with grape farmers in China. I find that farmers who received timely training content through a mobile application saw a significant increase in their knowledge of desirable farming practices and subsequently realized gains in the quality of their harvest. The evidence suggests that mobile applications could be a scalable means of conducting training and extension work. Finally, the third essay seeks to understand whether heat impacts human capital accumulation in early childhood. I find that increased exposure to high temperatures (beyond 31 C) leads to a reduction in a composite index of early childhood development, with literacy and numeracy suffering the largest declines. I also find that the harmful effects of heat are differentially felt by rural populations. Short-run reductions in child investment and declines in child health are found to be potential mechanisms through which heat may impede human capital accumulation at this age.