Impacto do gênero dos docentes sobre o desempenho de estudantes da Universidade Federal da Bahia

Abstract

The share of women in Brazilian higher education has been increasing over the last few years. However, there is still a strong disparity in the gender composition of the courses, especially among STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). With this in mind, this research seeks to analyze the impact of gender role model, in the figure of professors, on the performance of students in the first semester of one of the most important universities in the country, the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). The research uses data for the period from 2006 to 2012 and includes only freshmen students, since, from the following semesters, other factors, such as peer effects and networking, also start to make a difference in performance. In the analysis, the effect of the professor's gender on the grades of students of the same sex in courses traditionally dominated by the opposite sex was also measured. In addition, the impact of the professor's gender on the probability of completing the course was also verified. The empirical strategy adopted consisted in the application of Linear Regression Models with Fixed Effects, in order to obtain detailed results. The results indicate that students of both sexes earn higher grades due to same-sex professors. However, no positive results were found for students in courses dominated by the opposite sex, in terms of grade. It was verified, on the other hand, that a higher proportion of female professors in the first semester subjects increases the probability of graduation for female students in courses with low female participation. It is concluded, therefore, that the hypothesis about role models is valid, but it is influenced by other factors, related or not to the professor's gender.