The Impact of Tutor Gender Match on Girls' STEM Interest, Engagement, and Performance. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1178
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| Title: | The Impact of Tutor Gender Match on Girls' STEM Interest, Engagement, and Performance. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1178 |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Joshua Bleiberg, Carly D. Robinson, Evan Bennett, Susanna Loeb, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University |
| Source: | Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2025. |
| Availability: | Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 59 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Smith Richardson Foundation Arnold Ventures |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Grade 9 High Schools Junior High Schools Middle Schools Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Gender Differences, Gender Issues, Sex Stereotypes, STEM Education, Role Models, Women Faculty, Females, Mathematics Teachers, Student Interests, Attendance, Mathematics Achievement, Grade 9, Urban Schools, Teacher Characteristics, Grades (Scholastic), Self Concept, High School Students, STEM Careers, High School Teachers, Student Characteristics |
| Abstract: | Persistent gender disparities in STEM fields, even when young girls perform as well in STEM in school as boys, highlight the potential importance of preconceived views of STEM work in these difference and the potential need for role models to upend these views. In this study, we investigate whether female math tutors positively influence girls' STEM interest, attendance, and math performance. We randomly assigned 422 ninth grade students taking Algebra 1 in an urban New England school district to either same-gender or opposite-gender tutors. Girls paired with female tutors reported significantly higher STEM interest (0.73 SD) compared to those assigned to male tutors and were more likely to pass the course with a C- or better (3.9 percentage points). We find no evidence that students' attendance patterns systematically differed based on their tutors' gender. The effects appear stronger for students working with tutors in-person, as opposed to virtually, and during the school day, as opposed to after school. As the first experimental study of the impact of the tutor-student gender match, the research provides evidence that pairing girls with female tutors in school can enhance girls' STEM self-concept and academic performance. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | ED674126 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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