The effect of teacher subject-specific qualifications on student science achievement

• Published in: Labour economics Vol. 80; p. 102309
• Main Author: Sancassani, Pietro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Student achievement; Teacher characteristics; Teacher qualification; Teachers; TIMSS; TIMSS; Teachers; Student achievement; Teacher qualification; Teacher characteristics
• ISSN: 0927-5371; 1879-1034
• DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2022.102309

•Teacher subject-specific science qualifications increase student science test scores.•Results obtained using a within-student within-teacher across-subjects approach in an international setting.•Larger effect for female students, especially when taught by female teachers.•Larger effect in lower performing countries.•Increased confidence to teach explains 20% of the effect. I investigate the effect of teacher subject-specific qualifications on student science achievement using data from TIMSS 2015, a large-scale assessment of student skills. I exploit the availability of student test scores in four different science subjects—biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science—to test whether teachers holding a subject-specific qualification raise student test scores. Using a within-student within-teacher approach, which controls for student and teacher heterogeneity, I find that teacher subject-specific qualification in one subject increases student test scores by 3.5% of a standard deviation in the same subject. The effect is stronger for female students, especially when they are taught by female teachers, for disadvantaged students, and in lower-performing countries. The mediation analysis reveals that 20% of the effect is explained by teachers feeling more confident to teach topics in subjects in which they hold subject-specific qualifications.