Congratulations to Sharon Spencer who on Thursday, September 4, 2025, successfully defended her dissertation. The title of Sharon’s dissertation is, "A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TEACHER GENDER ON SCIENCE PERFORMANCE BY FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS."
Overview of Problem: Despite the implementation of equity-focused educational reforms, gender disparities persist in STEM fields, beginning with performance and participation in high school science. Numerous factors contribute to this gap, including societal expectations, representation, and classroom dynamics. One variable that may influence female students' performance is the gender of their science teacher. However, limited empirical research has focused on how teacher gender impacts female students' achievement in high school science courses, particularly within the public education system.
Research Purpose: This study, grounded in Critical Feminist Theory and Steele’s Stereotype Threat Theory, explored whether the gender of high school science teachers affects science achievement for female students. The purpose was to investigate if female students perform differently in science based on whether they are taught by male or female teachers, as measured by New York State Living Environment Regents exam results.
Research Design: Quantitative comparative study
Sample: Archival data were collected from three demographically diverse New York State school districts: Alpha School District, Beta School District, and Sigma School District. The sample consisted of female students in grades 9–12 who took the Living Environment Regents exam between 2019 and 2024.
Data Collection and Analysis: In addition to publicly available student performance data, three target districts—Alpha School District, Beta School District, and Sigma School District—were contacted and agreed to provide specific, non-identifiable student data for the purposes of this study. These datasets included disaggregated performance scores by student gender and teacher gender to allow for more precise analysis. All data were analyzed using SPSS. Independent samples t-tests were employed to compare mean performance scores of female students taught by male versus female science teachers. Descriptive statistics were also generated to identify patterns across districts and over time.
Findings/Results: The study found no statistically significant difference in female students' science performance based on teacher gender.
Conclusions/Implications: Although the findings did not show statistically significant effects, the theoretical frameworks suggest that teacher gender may influence classroom dynamics and student confidence. Stereotype threat and institutional gender biases may subtly affect female students’ engagement and identity in science. These findings highlight the importance of increasing gender representation in STEM education and adopting culturally responsive teaching strategies. Educational leaders should continue to implement policies that support gender equity in science classrooms and consider the broader systemic influences addressed by Critical Feminist Theory.
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CHAIR(S):
Dr. Nora Broege
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE MEMBER(S):
Dr. Peter F. Troiano
Dr. Tonia Thompson
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