Gender gaps in mathematics and reading

The gender gaps in mathematics and reading achievement refer to the finding that, on average, boys and girls perform differently in mathematics and reading skills on tests. On average, boys and men score somewhat better in mathematics, while girls and women score somewhat better in reading skills.[1][2][3]

Mathematics and reading gaps by country

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The Programme for International Student Assessment assesses the performance of 15-year-olds in mathematics and reading in OECD and OECD partner countries.[4] The table below lists the scores of the PISA 2009 assessment in mathematics and reading by country, as well as the difference between girls and boys. Gaps in bold font mean that the gender gap is statistically significant (p<0.05). A positive mathematics gap means that boys outperform girls, while a negative mathematics gap means that girls outperform boys. A positive reading gap means that girls outperform boys (this is true in every country, so no country has a negative reading gap). There is a negative correlation between the mathematics and reading gender gaps, that is, nations with a larger mathematics gap have a smaller reading gap and vice versa.[1]

Country Mathematics score Mathematics gender gap Reading score Reading gender gap
  Colombia 382 32 413 10
  Costa Rica 410 26 442 14
  Liechtenstein 535 24 500 32
  Belgium 515 22 506 27
  UK 492 21 494 26
  Chile 420 21 450 22
  Austria 496 20 470 41
  Luxembourg 489 20 472 39
   Switzerland 534 20 500 39
  US 487 20 500 25
  Spain 484 19 482 29
  Peru 365 18 370 22
  Netherlands 526 17 508 25
  Venezuela Miranda 398 17 421 18
  Denmark 503 16 494 29
  France 497 16 495 40
  Germany 512 15 498 40
  Italy 482 15 487 46
  Brazil 386 15 411 28
  Greece 466 14 482 47
  HK 554 14 534 32
  Mexico 418 13 426 25
  Canada 527 12 524 35
  Hungary 490 12 494 38
  Portugal 487 12 489 38
  Tunisia 372 12 402 31
  Uruguay 427 12 424 41
  Montenegro 402 12 408 52
  Argentina 388 11 397 36
  Turkey 446 11 464 43
  Macao 526 11 487 34
  Serbia 442 11 442 40
  Croatia 460 11 478 51
  Australia 514 10 514 37
  Japan 529 10 520 39
  Ireland 487 8 496 39
  New Zealand 519 8 522 45
  Israel 447 8 474 43
  Azerbaijan 431 8 362 24
  Estonia 512 8 502 44
  Singapore 562 6 526 31
  Czech Republic 492 5 480 48
  Norway 498 5 504 47
  Chinese Taipei 544 5 496 37
  Panama 360 5 370 33
  Korea 546 4 540 35
  Poland 495 4 500 49
  Romania 427 4 424 42
  Thailand 419 4 419 38
  Mauritius 420 4 406 40
  Finland 540 3 536 55
  Iceland 506 3 500 44
  Slovakia 496 3 478 51
  Moldova 398 3 388 45
  Latvia 482 2 484 47
  Russia 468 2 460 45
  Slovenia 502 1 484 55
  Kazakhstan 405 0 390 43
  Indonesia 372 -1 402 37
  Jordan 386 -1 406 57
  Sweden 494 -2 498 46
  China Shanghai 600 -2 556 40
  Georgia 380 -3 374 61
  Malaysia 404 -3 414 35
  Bulgaria 428 -4 430 61
  Qatar 368 -5 372 50
  Kyrgyzstan 331 -6 314 53
  Lithuania 477 -6 468 59
  United Arab Emirates 421 -6 431 58
  India Tamil Nadu 350 -7 335 36
  Trinidad and Tobago 414 -8 416 58
  Albania 378 -11 386 62
  Malta 462 -15 442 72

References

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  1. ^ a b Stoet, Gijsbert; Geary, David C (2013). "Sex differences in mathematics and reading achievement are inversely related: Within-and across-nation assessment of 10 years of PISA data". PLOS ONE. 8 (3). Public Library of Science: e57988. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...857988S. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0057988. PMC 3596327. PMID 23516422.
  2. ^ Geary, David C. (2010). Male, Female (2nd ed.). Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association.
  3. ^ Halpern, Diane F. (2012). Sex differences in Cognitive Abilities (4th ed.). New York: Psychology Press.
  4. ^ PISA 2009 Results: Executive Summary (PDF), OECD, 2010, retrieved 30 July 2013