Demographic Characteristics of High School Math and Science Teachers and Girls’ Success in STEM

Abstract

Given the prestige and compensation of science and math-related occupations, the underrepresentation of women and people of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors (STEM) perpetuates entrenched economic and social inequities. Explanations for this underrepresentation have largely focused on individual characteristics, including uneven academic preparation, as well as institutional factors at the college level. In this article, we focus instead on high schools. We highlight the influence of the intersection between race and gender of female math and science teachers on students' decisions to major in STEM fields. Theoretically, this article extends the political science concept of representative bureaucracy to the issue of women's and disadvantaged minorities' underrepresentation in STEM majors. We analyze longitudinal data from public school students in North Carolina to test whether organizational demography of high school math and science faculty has an association with college major choice and graduation. Using hierarchical probit models with an instrumental-variable approach, we find that 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.

A Path Analysis of Student Interest in STEM, with Specific Reference to Qatari Students

“…This is consistent with results from other research showing that teacher demographics influence children's interest in STEM and whether young adolescents major in STEM fields (Maltese & Tai, 2010;Stearns et al, 2016). Teacher influences range from helping students improve self-confidence and academic performance to optimizing student exposure to math and science courses (Wang, 2013).…”

Leveraging Social Capital to Broaden Participation in STEM

“…Such STEM teacher–pupil relationship may enhance students’ learning and interests in STEM. Longitudinal data from public school students in North Carolina indicated that young White women’s likelihood of enrolling and completing a postsecondary STEM degree program increased if they came from high schools with higher proportions of female math and science teachers, irrespective of teacher race/ethnicity (Stearns et al, 2016). Similar positive effects of STEM teacher–student characteristics match were also documented in the data from postsecondary education institutions, in which Black students were more likely to major in STEM fields if they had a Black instructor for a STEM course (Price, 2010; Rask & Bailey, 2002).…”

The Plight of the Male Teacher: An Interdisciplinary and Multileveled Theoretical Framework for Researching a Shortage of Male Teachers

“…Instead of focusing on the effects of individual teacher characteristics, these findings indicate school-level effects based on the composition of the teaching staff as a whole. For example, greater representation of female secondary teachers has been associated with academic outcomes for girls (Keiser, Wilkins, Meier, & Holland, 2002), and increased enrolments in tertiary courses where women are typically underrepresented (Stearns et al, 2016).…”