The Impact of Tutor Gender Match on Girls' STEM Interest, Engagement, and Performance

Bibliographic Data

Author(s)
Bleiberg, J., Robinson, C.D., Bennett, E., & Loeb, S.
Year of Study
2026
https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312261417332

Gender disparities in STEM persist despite girls performing as well as boys academically, suggesting girls may benefit from role models who shape their perceptions of STEM. We examine whether female math tutors influence girls’ STEM interest, attendance, and performance. We randomly assigned 422 ninth-grade students taking Algebra 1 to a same gender or opposite-gender tutor. Girls assigned to female tutors reported higher STEM interest (0.73 SD) and were more likely to pass the course with a C- or better (3.9-percentage points) than those with male tutors. We found no impact on attendance. Effects were stronger for students working with tutors in-person rather than virtually. We provide the first experimental evidence that female tutors can boost girls’ STEM self-concept and academic outcomes.

Download paper

Research Design

Study Design
Quantitative
Methodology
Randomized Controlled Trial
Subject
Math
Grade Level(s)
9th Grade
Sample size
422
Effect Size
0.73 SD increase in STEM interest

Program Details

Program Name

Tutoring provider

Program Evaluated

Math - Algebra 1

Duration
1 Year 2021 - 22 Began in Nov of 21
Student-Tutor Ratio
1/3:1

  Media Mentions

| Education Week

Tutoring has become a popular intervention for schools grappling with stagnant academic achievement.

A large body of evidence demonstrates that high-impact, high-dosage tutoring can effectively move the needle on student academic outcomes.

Now, a new study from Stanford University is adding to that body of research, finding that pairing girls with female math tutors increases the students’ STEM interest and improves their academic performance in math.

Carly Robinson, the director of research for the SCALE Initiative at the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, spoke with Education Week about the implications of the study.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

...