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Do teacher characteristics matter? New results on the effects of teacher preparation on student achievement

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  • Kukla-Acevedo, Sharon

Abstract

Research fairly consistently demonstrates that teachers are an important measurable factor in student learning, yet few teacher characteristics are shown to be consistently related to student achievement. Using a state administrative dataset that matches individual students to their teachers over time, I find that math teachers' undergraduate performance, as measured by GPA (overall, math, and math education) and course hours (math and math education), is predictive of 5th grade math achievement. The effects of the teacher characteristics are mediated by years of experience and vary according to student types.

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  • Kukla-Acevedo, Sharon, 2009. "Do teacher characteristics matter? New results on the effects of teacher preparation on student achievement," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 49-57, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:28:y:2009:i:1:p:49-57
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    7. Andrey Zakharov & Martin Carnoy & Prashant Loyalka, 2013. "Which teaching practices improve student performance on high-stakes exams? Evidence from Russia," HSE Working papers WP BRP 13/EDU/2013, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    8. Chowa, Gina A.N. & Masa, Rainier D. & Ramos, Yalitza & Ansong, David, 2015. "How do student and school characteristics influence youth academic achievement in Ghana? A hierarchical linear modeling of Ghana YouthSave baseline data," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 129-140.
    9. Andrea Repetto & Alejandra Mizala & Bernardo Lara, 2010. "Una Mirada a la Efectividad de los Profesores en Chile," Working Papers wp_004, Adolfo Ibáñez University, School of Government.
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    12. Qin, Lixia & Bowen, Daniel H., 2019. "The distributions of teacher qualification: A cross-national study," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 1-1.
    13. Guillermo Montes, 2012. "Using Artificial Societies to Understand the Impact of Teacher Student Match on Academic Performance: The Case of Same Race Effects," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 15(4), pages 1-8.
    14. Корешникова Ю. Н. & Захаров А. Б. & Дудырев Ф. Ф., 2018. "Различия В Общем Образовании В Колледжах И Старших Классах Школ: Характеристики Педагогов И Практики Преподавания. На Примере Математики," Вопросы образования // Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 2, pages 228-253.
    15. Kibriya, Shahriar & Xu, Zhicheng P. & Zhang, Yu, 2015. "The impact of bullying on educational performance in Ghana: A Bias-reducing Matching Approach," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 205409, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    16. Andersson, Christian & Johansson, Per & Waldenström, Nina, 2011. "Do you want your child to have a certified teacher?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 65-78, February.
    17. Chu, Jessica Hsiaochieh & Loyalka, Prashant & Chu, James & Qu, Qinghe & Shi, Yaojiang & Li, Guirong, 2015. "The impact of teacher credentials on student achievement in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 14-24.
    18. Anton-Erxleben, Katharina & Kibriya, Shahriar & Zhang, Yu, 2016. "Bullying as the main driver of low performance in schools: Evidence from Botswana, Ghana, and South Africa," MPRA Paper 75555, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Van Klaveren, Chris, 2011. "Lecturing style teaching and student performance," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 729-739, August.
    20. Yulia Koreshnikova & Andrey Zakharov & Fedor Dudyrev, 2018. "Differences in General Education in Vocational and High Schools: Characteristics of Teachers and Teaching Practices in Mathematics," Voprosy obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 2, pages 228-253.
    21. Johan Coenen & Ilja Cornelisz & Wim Groot & Henriette Maassen van den Brink & Chris Van Klaveren, 2018. "Teacher Characteristics And Their Effects On Student Test Scores: A Systematic Review," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 848-877, July.
    22. Sancassani, Pietro, 2023. "The effect of teacher subject-specific qualifications on student science achievement," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    23. Cho, Insook, 2012. "The effect of teacher–student gender matching: Evidence from OECD countries," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 54-67.
    24. Song, Steve, 2011. "Second-generation Turkish youth in Europe: Explaining the academic disadvantage in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 938-949, October.
    25. Goldschmidt, Pete & Phelps, Geoffrey, 2010. "Does teacher professional development affect content and pedagogical knowledge: How much and for how long?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 432-439, June.

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