What Makes a Good Teacher?

What makes a good teacher? This is one of the central questions in the economics of education. General teacher qualifications tend to be poor predictors of teacher quality. Students perform better in science subjects if their teachers hold a subject-specific qualification. The effect is larger for female students, especially when taught by female teachers, and for students from a lower socioeconomic background. In light of the study’s findings, countries worldwide should promote teachers’ acquisition of subject-specific qualifications by raising the standards required to become science teachers.