Teacher Gender, Student Gender, and Primary School Achievement: Evidence from Ten Francophone African Countries

Lee, Jieun and Rhee, Dong-eun and Rudolf, Robert (2017): Teacher Gender, Student Gender, and Primary School Achievement: Evidence from Ten Francophone African Countries.

Abstract

Using an exceptionally rich dataset comprising over 1,800 primary schools and nearly 40,000 students from ten francophone Sub-Saharan African countries, this study analyzes the relationship between teacher gender, student gender, and student achievement in mathematics and reading. Findings indicate that being taught by a female teacher increases academic achievements and that both performance and subject appreciation rise when taught by a same-gender teacher. Traditional academic gender stereotypes are prevalent among both male and female teachers. Our findings suggest that hiring more female teachers in Western and Central Africa can reduce educational gender gaps without hurting boys.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Gender; Educational quality; Female education; Sub-Saharan Africa; Same-gender teacher; PASEC.
• Subjects: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I21 - Analysis of Education; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I26 - Returns to Education; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J16 - Economics of Gender ; Non-labor Discrimination; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O5 - Economywide Country Studies > O55 - Africa

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