Analysis of figures from the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) found the proportion of male teachers in secondary schools had fallen from 43% to 36% over the five years the TTA has been compiling figures.

Only 13% of new primary school trainees were men in 2000/01.

The salary is relatively more attractive to women compared with what she could get elsewhere

Professor Alan Smithers

The research, by Professor Alan Smithers and Dr Pamela Robinson of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Liverpool University, also found the number of maths and science teacher recruits had dropped.

The number of maths graduates entering the teaching profession in England fell 7% in 2000/01 while science saw a 2.6% drop - this despite a government "golden hello" scheme which offers these graduates £4,000 to become teachers.

The researchers found that only 38% of maths and 39% of foreign language teacher trainees had a "good degree" - an upper second or a first.

By contrast, 65% of classics, 64% of history and 62% of new English teachers had a 2:1 or first class degree.

But overall, recruitment to the profession was up 11.8% for primary and 2% for secondary, despite the falls in maths and science.

Salary differences

Professor Smithers said the dominance of women in teaching was down to the fact that they were more interested than men in working with people and the pay gap was not as wide as in other walks of life.

"The salary is relatively more attractive to women compared with what she could get elsewhere," said Professor Smithers.

He said maths and science graduates may be put off teaching by the fact that schools could be "chaotic" places.

"A lot depends on what satisfaction people are looking for. In physical sciences, maths and modern languages, people are attracted by order and pattern.

"Schools are full of varied people and are potentially chaotic. Teaching itself is more attractive to graduates in, say, humanities and you can see that in their qualifications," he said.