Male teachers face bias when applying for jobs, study shows

Male teachers and teaching assistants face discrimination when applying for jobs in England's schools, new research from Warwick Business School shows.

Netflix drama Adolescence has captured the public imagination with its stark portrayal of teenage life, prompting England football manager Gareth Southgate to call for more male role models for schoolboys.

Yet the study – Is the school workforce biased against men? – reveals that hiring biases are making it harder to address the lack of male role models in classrooms, despite the education section actively seeking greater diversity.

In an experimental study, Joshua Fullard, Assistant Professor of Behavioural Science, finds that male applicants are rated less favourably than equally qualified female applicants when applying for roles in England’s school workforce – particularly for entry-level teacher and teaching assistant roles.

Dr Fullard said: “Representation matters. For many boys, especially those without positive male role models at home, the presence of male teachers can provide vital examples of positive masculinity. Yet one in four schools in England has no male classroom teacher. This has risen over the last three years.

“There’s growing concern about the lack of male teachers, especially to act as role models for boys. But our research shows that, despite this concern, men still face biases during the hiring process – particularly in lower-ranked positions.”

The study involved more than 600 teachers in England evaluating fictitious CVs for three school-based roles: Teaching Assistant, Classroom Teacher, and Headteacher.

The CVs were identical in qualifications and experience, but randomly assigned a male or female title. Results showed that, on average, male applicants were rated 1.2 percentage points lower than female applicants.

Key findings include:

• The bias against male applicants was strongest at the Teaching Assistant level (1.8 points lower).
• For Classroom Teacher roles, men were rated 1.3 points lower.
• At Headteacher level, evaluations were nearly gender-neutral.

These differences, while modest, are significant. For two equally qualified candidates, being rated slightly lower could mean the difference between being shortlisted or overlooked.

Bias in female-dominated sectors

The findings add nuance to debates about gender in hiring. While most research has focused on the disadvantage faced by women in male-dominated sectors, this study highlights that men can face measurable bias in female-dominated professions, even when there is political and institutional pressure to diversify.

“Teachers often play a key role in shaping who joins their schools,” said Dr Fullard. “Their input affects shortlisting decisions, workplace dynamics, and opportunities for career development. Even if teachers are not making the final hiring decisions, their perceptions matter.”

The school workforce in England remains heavily skewed by gender. Just seven per cent of Teaching Assistants are male, compared to 23 per cent of Classroom Teachers and 32 per cent of Headteachers.

The study suggests this imbalance may stem partly from early-stage discrimination that discourages or prevents men from entering or progressing within the profession.

Interestingly, the gender bias appears to decrease with seniority, but researchers caution that it is difficult to determine whether this is due to the role’s status or its more balanced gender composition.

“Future research should explore hiring in sectors where gender representation does not vary with seniority,” said Dr Fullard. “That would help isolate whether the reduction in bias is driven by perceptions of authority or by the presence of more men in senior roles.”

The findings suggest that calls for more men in schools must be matched by action to ensure fair and equitable hiring practices.

They also raise important questions about the role of school leadership and business managers – who may be less connected to classroom realities – in recruitment processes, and how their perceptions might differ from teachers.

Further reading:

Why are male teacher numbers falling?

Lack of diversity among primary school teachers could be harming children's education

Why teachers need a better deal to meet UK election pledges

Removing career barriers for working class women

Joshua Fullard is Assistant Professor of Behavioural Science and teaches Big Data Analytics on MSc Management, MSc Business with Marketing, MSc Business with Operations Management and MSc International Business and Business Statistics on MSc Business Analytics. 

Discover more about Finance and Markets. Receive our Core Insights newsletter via email or LinkedIn.