RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Persistent Effects of Teacher–Student Gender Matches
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 809
OP 835
DO 10.3368/jhr.55.3.0218-9314R4
VO 55
IS 3
A1 Jaegeum Lim
A1 Jonathan Meer
YR 2020
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/55/3/809.abstract
AB Many existing studies find that females perform better when they are taught by female teachers. However, there is little evidence on what the long-run impacts may be and through what mechanisms these impacts may emerge. We exploit panel data from middle schools in Seoul, South Korea, where students and teachers are randomly assigned to classrooms. We replicate the existing literature that examines contemporaneous effects and find that female students taught by a female versus a male teacher score higher on standardized tests compared to male students even five years later. We also find that having a female math teacher in seventh grade increases the likelihood that female students attend a STEM-focused high school, take higher-level math courses, and aspire to a STEM degree. These effects are driven by changes in students’ attitudes and choices.