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Gender Role Models and Early Career Decisions

Author

Listed:
  • Löwe, Monique

    (University of Hagen)

  • Rinne, Ulf

    (IZA)

  • Sonnabend, Hendrik

    (Fern Universität Hagen)

Abstract

This paper analyzes the link between the subject choices of German students in upper secondary school and teacher gender when these choices are taken. Our results corroborate the hypothesis that teacher gender matters in this regard, and they indicate that girls respond more strongly than boys to same-sex role models. While the probability to choose German as an advanced course in upper secondary school increases to a rather similar (i.e., symmetric) extent for both girls and boys when having a same-sex teacher in this subject in grade 10, teacher gender matters only for girls with respect to choosing math on the advanced level.

Suggested Citation

  • Löwe, Monique & Rinne, Ulf & Sonnabend, Hendrik, 2021. "Gender Role Models and Early Career Decisions," IZA Discussion Papers 14666, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp14666
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    1. Scott E. Carrell & Marianne E. Page & James E. West, 2010. "Sex and Science: How Professor Gender Perpetuates the Gender Gap," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 125(3), pages 1101-1144.
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    3. Eric P. Bettinger & Bridget Terry Long, 2005. "Do Faculty Serve as Role Models? The Impact of Instructor Gender on Female Students," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(2), pages 152-157, May.
    4. Sansone, Dario, 2017. "Why does teacher gender matter?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 9-18.
    5. Catherine Porter & Danila Serra, 2020. "Gender Differences in the Choice of Major: The Importance of Female Role Models," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 12(3), pages 226-254, July.
    6. Pål Schøne & Kristine von Simson & Marte Strøm, 2020. "Peer gender and educational choices," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(4), pages 1763-1797, October.
    7. Bottia, Martha Cecilia & Stearns, Elizabeth & Mickelson, Roslyn Arlin & Moller, Stephanie & Valentino, Lauren, 2015. "Growing the roots of STEM majors: Female math and science high school faculty and the participation of students in STEM," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 14-27.
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    3. Bramucci, Francesca & Munoz Boudet, Ana Maria & Viollaz, Mariana, 2025. "Promoting Women’s Leadership : What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Missing," Policy Research Working Paper Series 11239, The World Bank.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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