– While the role model intervention had no impact on male students, it significantly increased female students’ likelihood of expressing interest in the economics major and enrolling in further economics classes.
– Females were more likely to be present the day of the survey, and those surveyed were more likely to have a female instructor.
– Students who were present in class were more likely to get a high grade – defined as greater than a B – in the class.
– For female students, the decrease in average grade seems to be caused by a fall in the percentage of women getting a grade higher than a B.
– Role model intervention had no effect on men’s decisions to enroll in Intermediate Micro the following semester. The intervention had a positive and significant effect women’s enrollment rates, when controlling for grade and gender of the instructor.
– Having a female professor and getting a high grade in the class had both a positive significant impact on women’s enrollment decisions, while having no significant impact on men’s decisions.
– Intention to major in economics is a strong and significant predictor of male and female students’ decision to enroll in Intermediate Microeconomics the following semester or the following academic year.
– The marginal effect of the role model intervention on the intent to major in economics translate to an 150% increase in intention to major in economics and in both enrollment outcomes for students who earned grades higher than a B.
2017 - Gender Differences in the Choice of Major: The Importance of Female Role Models
– While the role model intervention had no impact on male students, it significantly increased female students’ likelihood of expressing interest in the economics major and enrolling in further economics classes.
– Females were more likely to be present the day of the survey, and those surveyed were more likely to have a female instructor.
– Students who were present in class were more likely to get a high grade – defined as greater than a B – in the class.
– For female students, the decrease in average grade seems to be caused by a fall in the percentage of women getting a grade higher than a B.
– Role model intervention had no effect on men’s decisions to enroll in Intermediate Micro the following semester. The intervention had a positive and significant effect women’s enrollment rates, when controlling for grade and gender of the instructor.
– Having a female professor and getting a high grade in the class had both a positive significant impact on women’s enrollment decisions, while having no significant impact on men’s decisions.
– Intention to major in economics is a strong and significant predictor of male and female students’ decision to enroll in Intermediate Microeconomics the following semester or the following academic year.
– The marginal effect of the role model intervention on the intent to major in economics translate to an 150% increase in intention to major in economics and in both enrollment outcomes for students who earned grades higher than a B.