Gender Differences in Teacher Grading across School Subjects: Evidence from Germany

Sebastian Otten

No 26263, RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series from ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin)

Abstract: This study examines whether gender differences in teacher-assigned grades vary systematically across subjects. Using data from German secondary schools, I compare teacher-assigned grades with anonymously graded standardized test scores within a difference-in-differences framework. Across six core subjects spanning the humanities and STEM, I find systematic grading differentials favoring female students. The estimated differential is largest in German and Math and substantially smaller in English and the sciences, indicating considerable cross-subject heterogeneity. The differential also varies markedly by school track and teacher experience, with systematically larger estimates in the academic track and particularly pronounced differentials among novice teachers.

Keywords: Gender differences; Teacher grading; Grade-test differential; Educational inequality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 I24 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-10
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:crm:wpaper:26263

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