Middle and high school students may see more benefits. Earlier research has been mixed and inconclusive. A 2007 analysis by Stanford professor Thomas Dee found academic benefits for eighth-grade boys and girls when taught by same-sex teachers. And studies in which researchers observe and interview small numbers of students often show how students feel more supported by same-sex teachers. Yet many quantitative studies, like this most recent one, have failed to find measurable benefits for boys. At least 10 since 2014 have found no or minimal effect. The benefits for girls are more consistent.
This latest study, Fixed-Effect Estimates of Teacher-Student Gender Matching Across Elementary School, is a working paper that has not yet been peer-reviewed. Morgan and co-author Eric Hu, a researcher at Albany, shared a draft with me.
Morgan and Hu analyzed a US Department of Education data set that tracked a nationally representative group of 8,000 students from kindergarten in 2010 through fifth grade in 2017. Half were boys and half were girls.
More than two-thirds – 68 percent – of the 4,000 boys never had a male teacher during those years, while 32 percent had at least one. (The study focused only on the main teachers in the classroom, not extras like gym or music.)
Among 1,300 boys who had both male and female teachers, the researchers compared each boy’s performance and behavior over those years. For example, if Jacob had female teachers in kindergarten, first, second, and fifth grades, but male teachers in third and fourth, his average scores and behavior were compared across teachers of different genders.
The researchers found no differences in achievement in reading, math or science — or in behavioral and social measures. Teachers rated students on traits such as impulsivity, cooperation, anxiety, empathy, and self-control. The children also underwent annual executive function tests. Results did not differ by teacher gender.
Most studies on male teachers focus on older students. The authors note another elementary-level study in Florida also found no academic benefit for boys. This new study confirms this finding and adds that there appear to be no behavioral or social benefits.
For students at this young age, 11 and under, the researchers also found no academic benefits for girls with female teachers. But there were two non-academic ones: Girls taught by women showed stronger interpersonal skills (getting along, helping others, caring for feelings) and a greater willingness to learn (represented by skills like organizing and following rules).
When researchers combine race and gender, the results become more complex. Black girls taught by black women scored higher on a test of executive functions but lower on science. Asian boys tutored by Asian men had higher executive function scores but lower interpersonal skills scores. Black boys showed no measurable differences when taught by black male teachers. (Previous studies sometimes benefits found for black students and sometimes it isn’t.)
Even if the data do not show academic or behavioral benefits for students, there may still be compelling reasons to diversify the teaching workforce, just as in other professions. But we shouldn’t expect these efforts to move the needle on student outcomes.
“If you’ve had scarce resources and you’ve been trying to gamble,” Morgan said, “then based on this study, maybe elementary school is not where you should be focusing your recruiting efforts” to recruit more men.
To paraphrase Boyz II Men, it’s so hard to say goodbye to the idea that young boys need male teachers.
This story about male teachers is produced by The Hechinger Reportan independent, nonprofit news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Evidence points and others Hechinger Bulletins.
