Stearns, Elizabeth, Bottia, Martha C., Davalos, Eleonora, Mickelson, Roslyn A., Moller, Stephanie, & Valentino, Lauren
Researchers: Eleonora DavalosElizabeth StearnsLauren ValentinoMartha C. BottiaRoslyn A. MickelsonStephanie Moller
University Affiliation: University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Duke University
Email: Elizabeth.stearns@uncc.edu
Research Question:
To investigate whether a more heavily female math and science teaching staff in high school has an average positive effect on female students in the high school. Also, to determine whether any results are specific to one racial group and, finally, whether the intersection of race and gender for a teacher matters for those STEM outcomes.
Published: Yes
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: Social Problems
Journal Entry: Vol. 63, Pp. 87-110
Year: 2016
Findings:
- Young white women are more likely to major in STEM fields and to graduate with STEM degrees when they come from high schools with higher proportions of female math and science teachers, irrespective of the race of the teacher. At the same time, these teachers do not depress young white or African American men’s chances of majoring in STEM. Results for African American women are less conclusive, highlighting the limitations of their small sample size.
- White female students STEM outcomes are not associated with the proportion of white female math and science teachers, but with female math and science teachers more generally.
- Proportion of students that received free or reduced lunch and proportion of students that were white at a school did not have a significant effect on declaring a STEM major or graduating in STEM.
- Female math and science teachers, as potential passive and active representatives of white girls’ interests in math and science within the school bureaucracy, can open STEM fields of study to white girls in ways that male math and science teachers may not.
- As passive representatives, female teachers in science and mathematics can be particularly important in overcoming the pervasive normative association between success in math and science and masculinity.
- More active representation implies that female teachers “open” the field more to girls by pushing them to take risks and go against stereotypes and by raising young women’s confidence and reducing the uncertainty about the benefits of further education.