Shaken up or still studying? Student performance after the Central Italy earthquake
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7166282 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Davide Di Marcoberardino (0000-0002-8328-8825), Marco Cucculelli (0000-0003-0035-9454) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-12-31 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Regional Studies Regional Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2168-1376 • E-ISSN: 2168-1376 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/21681376.2026.2615501 |
| OpenAlex | W7127105911 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 83 |
Natural hazards and disasters have diverse impacts on populations worldwide in different ways, including significant effects on students and educational systems. While the effects of COVID-19 on students have been extensively explored, less attention has been given to the impacts of disasters at the NUTS (nomenclature of territorial units for statistics)-3 level, particularly in Western European countries. This study investigates the effects of the 2016 Central Italy earthquake on the learning outcomes of primary school students using standardised test scores at the NUTS-3 level provided by INVALSI (Istituto Nazionale per la Valutazione del Sistema Educativo di Istruzione e di Formazione). Using a quasi-experimental design, we analyse the data through a dual methodological approach that combines synthetic difference-in-differences (SDID) and event study methodologies. The findings reveal a significant negative impact of the earthquake on the test scores of second-year primary school students, while effects on fifth-year students are not statistically significant. Notably, the negative impact persists for approximately two years, highlighting the enduring educational consequences of disasters. This case study offers policy implications for educational systems in the aftermath of an earthquake, as well as a quantitative background for comparative research on education in Europe
Natural disaster · Natural hazard · Poison control · Primary education · Suicide prevention · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Disaster Management and Resilience · Disaster Response and Management
The Economic Impacts of Natural Disasters
Synthetic Difference-in-Differences
Children and Disasters
Pre-Event Trends in the Panel Event-Study Design
Weighing the Costs of Disaster
Implementing the panel event study
Covid-19 and educational inequality
Impacts of Natural Disasters on Children
Synthetic Control Methods for Comparative Case Studies
Education system response to an extreme shock analyzing the short, medium and long-term impact of the stronger earthquake in Chile
The effect of consecutive disasters on educational outcomes
Heterogeneity in the educational impacts of natural disasters
Do environmental disasters affect human capital? The threat of forest fires
Dropping out of university in response to the Covid-19 pandemic
Natural disasters and human capital accumulation
Earthquake exposure and schooling
School infrastructure spending and educational outcomes
The effect of school closures on standardized test scores
Localized commercial effects from natural disasters
The effect of the earthquake in Central Italy on the depopulation of the affected territories
Evaluating education systems
Shattered ground, shaken minds
Network analysis of early school dropouts’ risk factors in Italy
Psychological Distress among Adolescents in Chengdu, Sichuan at 1 Month after the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake
Resilience to disaster
Natural disasters and human capital
Long run effects and intergenerational transmission of natural disasters
Socio-economic exposure to natural disasters
Natural disasters, growth and institutions
Fiscal decentralization and natural hazard risks
Do Institutions Play a Role in Skilled Migration? The Case of Italy
The Effect of Attending a Small Class in the Early Grades on College‐test Taking and Middle School Test Results
Understanding the impacts of floods on learning quality, school facilities, and educational recovery in Indonesia
Spatial analysis to identify disparities in Philippine public school facilities
The effects and the macroeconomic dynamics of natural disaster damages
The Political Economy of ``Natural'' Disasters
The effect of natural disasters on human capital in the United States
The Effect of Household Wealth on Educational Attainment
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |