A Professor Like MeThe Influence of Instructor gender on College Achievement

By: Florian Hoffmann & Philip Oreopoulos

Alexandra Lanzarotta, Jessica Savoie, Nick Vetro & Nick Crimi

This study seeks to determine whether the gender of the teacher plays a role in influencing the achievement and interest of the student at the post-secondary level.

Measures the impact of instructor gender on the academic achievement of undergraduate students.

Measures the impact of the professors gender on the likelihood of dropping a class.

By focusing on college they examine the extent to which gender role model effects exist at a later age.

Introduction and Background

U of T Arts & Science faculty for fall and winter terms between ’96 and ’05.

34,342 full time undergrad students from Ontario high schools who were between 17-20 yrs. old upon entry.

88 largest first year courses with at least 50 students.

Includes students’ gender, date of birth, mother tongue, citizenship, entering program of study, high school grades.

Course data

Data Set

First estimate gender interactions for male and female students separately:

Yikt = β*f_instructorikt + δi + δk + δt + uikt

Three student outcome variables at the student-by-course level are used, “Dropped Course”, “Grade”, and “Subject Course, Subsequent Years”

Methods-Equation 1

For females there was no significant difference in the likelihood of dropping a class based on whether the instructor is male or female.

Males are about 1.8 percentage points more likely to drop a course when beginning it with a female instructor

When controls are added the results appear to be the same.

Males perform slightly better , on average, with male instructors.

Results for Equation 1

Create another formula to allow for class fixed effects.

Yic=δ* f_studentic* f_instructoric+θkg+δi +δc

+uic

Methods- Equation 2

Females are about 1% less likely than males in the same class to drop a course in a class with a female instructor.

Furthermore, males are 1% less likely than females to drop a class if the instructor is male.

The estimate is about the same when including both class and fixed student effects.

Results for Equation 2

Correcting for sample selection is difficult.

OLS estimates are downward biased.

After accounting for course completion assignment to a same-sex instructor improves expected grade performance.

Sample Selection Problems

Overall the study found that gender interactions at the college level play a minor role in determining a college student’s academic performance.

Results indicate that males perform slightly worse with a female instructor however, female performance is consistent regardless of instructor gender.

At the college level it appears that instructor gender does not play a significant role in student achievement or dropout rates.

Perceived “role model” effect.

Key Conclusions

Potentially hire more male instructors

Base instructor training on behavioural traits rather then gender implications

Policy Implications