View in EDS

The Impact of Tutor Gender Match on Girls' STEM Interest, Engagement, and Performance. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1178

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: The Impact of Tutor Gender Match on Girls' STEM Interest, Engagement, and Performance. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1178
Language: English
Authors: Joshua Bleiberg, Carly D. Robinson, Evan Bennett, Susanna Loeb, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Source: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2025.
Availability: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 59
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Smith Richardson Foundation
Arnold Ventures
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 9
High Schools
Junior High Schools
Middle Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Gender Differences, Gender Issues, Sex Stereotypes, STEM Education, Role Models, Women Faculty, Females, Mathematics Teachers, Student Interests, Attendance, Mathematics Achievement, Grade 9, Urban Schools, Teacher Characteristics, Grades (Scholastic), Self Concept, High School Students, STEM Careers, High School Teachers, Student Characteristics
Abstract: Persistent gender disparities in STEM fields, even when young girls perform as well in STEM in school as boys, highlight the potential importance of preconceived views of STEM work in these difference and the potential need for role models to upend these views. In this study, we investigate whether female math tutors positively influence girls' STEM interest, attendance, and math performance. We randomly assigned 422 ninth grade students taking Algebra 1 in an urban New England school district to either same-gender or opposite-gender tutors. Girls paired with female tutors reported significantly higher STEM interest (0.73 SD) compared to those assigned to male tutors and were more likely to pass the course with a C- or better (3.9 percentage points). We find no evidence that students' attendance patterns systematically differed based on their tutors' gender. The effects appear stronger for students working with tutors in-person, as opposed to virtually, and during the school day, as opposed to after school. As the first experimental study of the impact of the tutor-student gender match, the research provides evidence that pairing girls with female tutors in school can enhance girls' STEM self-concept and academic performance.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED674126
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED674126
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED674126
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: The Impact of Tutor Gender Match on Girls' STEM Interest, Engagement, and Performance. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1178
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Joshua+Bleiberg%22">Joshua Bleiberg</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Carly+D%2E+Robinson%22">Carly D. Robinson</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Evan+Bennett%22">Evan Bennett</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Susanna+Loeb%22">Susanna Loeb</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Annenberg+Institute+for+School+Reform+at+Brown+University%22">Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Annenberg+Institute+for+School+Reform+at+Brown+University%22"><i>Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University</i></searchLink>. 2025.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 59
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: Smith Richardson Foundation<br />Arnold Ventures
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+9%22">Grade 9</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22High+Schools%22">High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Junior+High+Schools%22">Junior High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+Differences%22">Gender Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+Issues%22">Gender Issues</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sex+Stereotypes%22">Sex Stereotypes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22STEM+Education%22">STEM Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Role+Models%22">Role Models</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Women+Faculty%22">Women Faculty</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Females%22">Females</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Teachers%22">Mathematics Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Interests%22">Student Interests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attendance%22">Attendance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Achievement%22">Mathematics Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+9%22">Grade 9</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Urban+Schools%22">Urban Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Characteristics%22">Teacher Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grades+%28Scholastic%29%22">Grades (Scholastic)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Concept%22">Self Concept</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+School+Students%22">High School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22STEM+Careers%22">STEM Careers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+School+Teachers%22">High School Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Characteristics%22">Student Characteristics</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Persistent gender disparities in STEM fields, even when young girls perform as well in STEM in school as boys, highlight the potential importance of preconceived views of STEM work in these difference and the potential need for role models to upend these views. In this study, we investigate whether female math tutors positively influence girls' STEM interest, attendance, and math performance. We randomly assigned 422 ninth grade students taking Algebra 1 in an urban New England school district to either same-gender or opposite-gender tutors. Girls paired with female tutors reported significantly higher STEM interest (0.73 SD) compared to those assigned to male tutors and were more likely to pass the course with a C- or better (3.9 percentage points). We find no evidence that students' attendance patterns systematically differed based on their tutors' gender. The effects appear stronger for students working with tutors in-person, as opposed to virtually, and during the school day, as opposed to after school. As the first experimental study of the impact of the tutor-student gender match, the research provides evidence that pairing girls with female tutors in school can enhance girls' STEM self-concept and academic performance.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED674126
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED674126
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 59
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Gender Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Gender Issues
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sex Stereotypes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: STEM Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Role Models
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Women Faculty
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Females
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mathematics Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Interests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attendance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mathematics Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 9
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Urban Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grades (Scholastic)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self Concept
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: High School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: STEM Careers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: High School Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Characteristics
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: The Impact of Tutor Gender Match on Girls' STEM Interest, Engagement, and Performance. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1178
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Joshua Bleiberg
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Carly D. Robinson
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Evan Bennett
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Susanna Loeb
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
              Type: main
ResultId 1