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Impact of teacher gender and role models on student outcomes in India

Author

Listed:
  • Eshita Goswami

    (Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research)

Abstract

This study estimates the impact of teacher gender and tests for role model effects on various student outcomes such as test scores, transferrable skills, attendance and attitudes. We perform the analysis for subjects, such as Maths and English, which are male-dominated and female-dominated respectively as per traditional beliefs. We find that there is a presence of female role models when females teach English. However, female Maths teachers negatively affect students' outcomes. We attribute this to students' traditional perceptions regarding females being worse Maths teachers than males. We also perform a sub-sample analysis for co-ed sections and find that the role model effects get diluted, attributing to the influence of opposite gender peers in these sections.

Suggested Citation

  • Eshita Goswami, 2024. "Impact of teacher gender and role models on student outcomes in India," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2024-016, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    • Handle: RePEc:ind:igiwpp:2024-016
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    File URL: http://www.igidr.ac.in/pdf/publication/WP-2024-016.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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