Academic achievement and the gender composition of preschool staff

TY - JOUR

T1 - Academic achievement and the gender composition of preschool staff

AU - Gørtz, Mette

AU - Johansen, Eva Rye

AU - Simonsen, Marianne

PY - 2018/12

Y1 - 2018/12

N2 - This paper uses register based data covering the entire population of Danish children enrolled in preschool in 2006–2007 to investigate whether the gender composition of preschool staff members affects the timing of school start and subsequent academic performance. To estimate effects of the share of male staff member in preschools, we exploit within-preschool differences in teacher gender composition across time. We find that the share of male staff improves child outcomes and that gains are larger for boys who did not have access to male teachers previously and among children with less readily access to male role models.

AB - This paper uses register based data covering the entire population of Danish children enrolled in preschool in 2006–2007 to investigate whether the gender composition of preschool staff members affects the timing of school start and subsequent academic performance. To estimate effects of the share of male staff member in preschools, we exploit within-preschool differences in teacher gender composition across time. We find that the share of male staff improves child outcomes and that gains are larger for boys who did not have access to male teachers previously and among children with less readily access to male role models.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - Preschool

KW - Teacher gender

KW - Redshirting

KW - Child development

U2 - 10.1016/j.labeco.2018.10.005

DO - 10.1016/j.labeco.2018.10.005

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0927-5371

VL - 55

SP - 241

EP - 258

JO - Labour Economics

JF - Labour Economics

ER -