Pupils’ Mathematics Achievements: Is There a Difference When Taught By a Female Teacher or a Male Teacher?

Abstract

Inclusive and high-quality education must provide equal opportunities for all pupils to learn leaving no child behind. Different studies show that secondary education is an area where boys are disadvantaged and also that young people, especially girls, are not enthusiastic about learning the exact sciences at school. There are many and various factors (individual personal, social, and cultural, school context) that determine pupil gender differences in mathematics achievements. Recognizing the impact of all these factors on pupil learning and achievement, this research focuses on clarifying how mathematics achievements of pupils (girls and boys) are related to the activities of teachers of different genders (female or male). The research includes data on 47581 learners and their 594 mathematics teachers, who were selected from forms 5-10 (basic school) and forms I-IV (secondary school) in 179 Lithuanian schools during the period 2012-2021. The results of the study suggest that in the surveyed sample of Lithuanian schools the majority of teachers teaching mathematics are women and the achievements of girls in mathematics are higher than those of boys in all primary and secondary school classes, except for classes 5 and 7. However, the differences in the work of female and male teachers are very small and the achievements of pupils (girls and boys) in mathematics are not related to gender-determined activity characteristics of teachers. The presented regression model of mathematics achievement of pupils (girls and boys) hardly differs from the actual results, which means that all the presented coefficients of the characteristics of the teacher’s work affect the work of teachers (irrespective of their gender) and, accordingly, the pupils’ mathematics achievements.