Abstract
Using data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015 assessment of fourth-grade students in 32 countries, a series of mean comparisons and regression analyses were conducted to determine (1) the gender gap in students’ self-concept in mathematics; (2) to what extent student achievement, student gender, and parental characteristics (early numeracy activities, attitudes, expectations, and education) are related to students’ self-concept; and (3) to what extent the effect of achievement and parental characteristics on mathematics self-concept differs between male and female students. Results from this study indicate that gender differences in students’ self-concept in mathematics are significant in most countries, usually in favour of boys as early as in fourth grade. The differences largely remain the same when the data analysis controls for effects of student achievement and parental involvement.
Highlights
Participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields of study and employment is a matter of international concern across several countries (Marginson, Tytler, Freeman & Roberts, 2013)
On average, there are no large differences in the mathematics achievements of boys and girls across countries participating in the latest versions of studies such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) (Mullis, Martin, Foy & Hooper, 2016; OECD, 2016b)
This section begins with an overview of the descriptive statistics by gender of mathematics self-concept, mathematics achievement, early numeracy activities before school and parents’ educational expectations, together with the correlation between gender and each of these variables
Summary
Participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields of study and employment is a matter of international concern across several countries (Marginson, Tytler, Freeman & Roberts, 2013). On average, there are no large differences in the mathematics achievements of boys and girls across countries participating in the latest versions of studies such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) (Mullis, Martin, Foy & Hooper, 2016; OECD, 2016b). A consistent finding in these studies, and in secondary analyses using their data, is that the size and the direction of the gender gap in mathematics achievement vary across countries (Alkhateeb, 2001; Badr, Morrissey & Appleton, 2012; Bedard & Cho, 2010; Guiso, Monte, Sapienza & Zingales, 2008; Mullis, Martin, Foy & Arora, 2012; OECD, 2013, 2016b). In a few countries (e.g. Qatar, Kuwait, Thailand), the gender differences are in favour of girls (OECD, 2013; Mullis, Martin, & Foy, 2008; Mullis et al, 2012)
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