BECE. Newsletter 

Vol.6, No.2, 2020 888 

 

 

 

 

The Impact of Student Leaders’ Identity on Their Ac-

quisition of Learning Opportunities: A Study Based 

on the Findings from 4,026 Junior High School Stu-

dents via Propensity Score Matching 

By Ke, Z. & Li, C.J. 

Correspondence to: Ke, Z. Email: kezheng@ecnu.edu.cn 

STUDY published in Education Research, taking 4,026 junior high 

school students as samples and use the method of Propensity Score 

Matching to conduct data analysis, in order to explore two questions: Does 

the identity of student leader affect students’ learning opportunities? And 

how big is the impact? 

In terms of the data model, the dependent variable learning opportuni-

ties were subdivided into question opportunity, discussion and cognitive op-

portunities. The sample was divided into the student leaders and the ordinary 

students by Propensity Score Matches, where the two groups of variables can 

be as similar as possible, to eliminate bias, better for causal inference, the re-

sults are as follows: 

 Preliminary descriptive statistics and differential analysis 

show that student leaders do get more learning opportunities 

than ordinary students in the natural state. 

 The Logit model is established to analyze the factors that in-

fluence the identity of student leaders. Gender, academic 

ability and personality are all important factors that influence 

students to serve as student leaders. Female students are more 

likely to serve as student leaders, and students with strong ac-

ademic ability and outgoing personality are more likely to 

serve as student leaders. 

 The nearest-neighbor matching method is used to match the 

model, and the result is suitable. The Average Treatment Ef-

fect (ATT) was calculated to analyze the increase in learning 

opportunities brought by student leaders. The ATT of student 

leaders on students’ opportunities to acquire the opportunities 

to ask questions, discuss, acknowledge and overall learning 

are 34.4%, 13.4%, 21.6% and 26.1%, respectively. It shows 

A 



 

Vol.6, No.2, 2020 889 

that the identity has indeed brought improvement to students’ 

learning opportunities. 

Based on this, researchers believe that the current student leader sys-

tem has become a lever for advantaged student groups to gain greater educa-

tional advantages, which aggravates the unfairness of educational process or 

learning opportunities and it is necessary to adjust the current student leader 

system. 

 

Source: Educational Research, 2020; 41(5):112-125.