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Do teacher characteristics matter? New results on the effects of teacher preparation on student achievement

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  • Kukla-Acevedo, Sharon

Abstract

Research fairly consistently demonstrates that teachers are an important measurable factor in student learning, yet few teacher characteristics are shown to be consistently related to student achievement. Using a state administrative dataset that matches individual students to their teachers over time, I find that math teachers' undergraduate performance, as measured by GPA (overall, math, and math education) and course hours (math and math education), is predictive of 5th grade math achievement. The effects of the teacher characteristics are mediated by years of experience and vary according to student types.

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  • Kukla-Acevedo, Sharon, 2009. "Do teacher characteristics matter? New results on the effects of teacher preparation on student achievement," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 49-57, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:28:y:2009:i:1:p:49-57
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    8. Корешникова Ю. Н. & Захаров А. Б. & Дудырев Ф. Ф., 2018. "Различия В Общем Образовании В Колледжах И Старших Классах Школ: Характеристики Педагогов И Практики Преподавания. На Примере Математики," Вопросы образования // Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 2, pages 228-253.
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    14. Cho, Insook, 2012. "The effect of teacher–student gender matching: Evidence from OECD countries," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 54-67.
    15. Goldschmidt, Pete & Phelps, Geoffrey, 2010. "Does teacher professional development affect content and pedagogical knowledge: How much and for how long?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 432-439, June.
    16. Balcázar, Carlos Felipe & Nopo, Hugo R., 2014. "Broken Gears: The Value Added of Higher Education on Teachers' Academic Achievement," IZA Discussion Papers 8477, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Pallas, Aaron M., 2010. "Meeting the basic educational needs of children and youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(9), pages 1199-1210, September.
    18. Andrea Repetto & Alejandra Mizala & Bernardo Lara, 2010. "Una Mirada a la Efectividad de los Profesores en Chile," Working Papers wp_004, Adolfo Ibáñez University, School of Government.
    19. Hayes, Michael S. & Liu, Jing & Gershenson, Seth, 2023. "Who refers whom? The effects of teacher characteristics on disciplinary office referrals," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    20. Qin, Lixia & Bowen, Daniel H., 2019. "The distributions of teacher qualification: A cross-national study," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 1-1.
    21. Guillermo Montes, 2012. "Using Artificial Societies to Understand the Impact of Teacher Student Match on Academic Performance: The Case of Same Race Effects," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 15(4), pages 1-8.
    22. Andersson, Christian & Johansson, Per & Waldenström, Nina, 2011. "Do you want your child to have a certified teacher?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 65-78, February.
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    25. Song, Steve, 2011. "Second-generation Turkish youth in Europe: Explaining the academic disadvantage in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 938-949, October.

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