1. The Influence of Instructor gender on College Achievement By: Florian Hoffmann & Philip Oreopoulos Alexandra Lanzarotta, Jessica Savoie, Nick Vetro & Nick Crimi

2.  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.

3.  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

5.  First estimate gender interactions for male and female students separately:  Y ikt = β*f_instructor ikt + δ i + δ k + δ t + u ikt  Three student outcome variables at the student- by-course level are used, “Dropped Course”, “Grade”, and “Subject Course, Subsequent Years”

7.  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.

8.  Create another formula to allow for class fixed effects.  Y i c = δ* f_student ic * f_instructor ic + θ kg + δ i + δ c + u ic

10.  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.

11.  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.

12.  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.

13.  Potentially hire more male instructors  Base instructor training on behavioural traits rather then gender implications