Gender Gap In Scores Research Articles

The association between the gender gap in science achievement and students’ perceptions of their own attitudes and capabilities

Among the countries that participated in the trends in international mathematics and science study (TIMSS) 2019 for grade 8 science, Oman had the highest gender gap in favor of girls. The current study explores the gender gap in science achievement in Oman and relates it to students’ varying perceptions of their own attitudes and capabilities. The sample in the study comprised 467 grade 9 students, 266 female and 201 male. The participants were given a TIMSS-like science test, along with four self-perception surveys; these explored metacognitive awareness, self-regulation (SR), science learning self-efficacy (SLSE), and attitudes to science (AS). The results indicated that student self-perceptions of SR, SLSE, and AS, were significantly related to the gender gap in students with higher-level science achievement. The results were different when looking at the gender gap in scores for lower-level questions; here, there was no relation to any of the four self-perception variables explored in the study.

Going Beyond Test Scores: The Gender Gap in Italian Children’s Mathematical Capability

This paper investigates the relationship between gender, attitudes, and test scores in mathematics. The study argues that measures of children’s capability in mathematics must include some indicators of attitudes toward the subject. These are particularly important when analyzing gender gaps because attitudes toward mathematics differ by gender. To this end, the study first analyzes the gender gap in attitudes and test scores separately using school fixed effects models. Second, it estimates a structural equation model, which takes into account that mathematical capability is a latent construct for which some indicators (test scores and attitudes) are observed. Using data from the Italian National Institute for the Evaluation of Education Systems (INVALSI) for school years 5 and 10 in 2014 and 2015, results confirm that when mathematics capability, including both attitudes and test scores, is measured, the gap between boys and girls changes, and it is therefore relevant to consider both concepts. HIGHLIGHTS Italy has one of the highest gender gaps in mathematics in the OECD. Gender gaps are substantial both in children's attitudes and their test scores. Tackling gender stereotypes may improve women's self-confidence in mathematics and the gender gap in scores. This may also help close the gender gap in STEM occupations.

High‐Stakes Testing: Barrier to Gifted Girls in Mathematics and Science?

The gender gap in scores on the mathematics section of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT‐M) is currently approximately 30 points for academically gifted middle school students who take the SAT as part of Talent Search participation. This paper explores possible reasons for the gap, including test bias, variability in scores, the timed nature of the test, and environmental factors. When the SAT‐M is used as the sole criterion for admission, gender differences in scores mean that disparate numbers of boys and girls are identified for high‐level mathematics and science programs. Solutions to the problem are proposed, taking the perspective that the goal of the special programs is to identify and serve students who are likely to benefit from and be successful in such programs.