The Difference a Female Teacher Makes: Analysis of Girls’ School Achievement in Nepal

Abstract Educational outcomes of female students are limited by persistent gender inequalities and the lack of non-patriarchal support structures in schools in Nepal. Role model theory suggests that female teachers provide a range of benefits for female students. We explored if the same-sex teacher as students has nexus with students’ performance in standardized exit examinations among 549 eighth-grade Nepali students to understand the contributions of female teachers on the academic performance of female students. The Mann-Whitney U-test compared eighth-grade male and female students’ test scores based on teachers’ sexual backgrounds. Overall, results showed that students taught by female teachers achieved significantly higher scores in science and the Nepali language than those taught by male teachers, indicating a clear advantage of female teachers. Findings imply that efforts to increase female teachers and invest in their professional development are essential to boost the academic success of girls and to achieve a more equitable education system in Nepal.