Asian Students’ Performance on Advanced Placement Exams: Gender Differences

• In Event: Roundtable Session 96
  In Roundtable Session: Research on the Education of Asian and Pacific Americans: Roundtable Session on Gender Differences

Abstract

The performance of Asian boys and Asian girls on Advanced Placement (AP) exams for the May, 2010 administration was analyzed. Scores on these Asian students’ AP exams, overall and then for the 17 most frequently selected AP exams, were contrasted to determine the extent to which gender differences were present. Regarding overall AP exam performance, Asian boys had statistically significant higher average scores than Asian girls. In addition, Asian boys had statistically higher percentages of 5s and 4s than did Asian girls on 13 of the 17 AP exams analyzed. Asian girls outperformed Asian boys on two AP exams: English Literature & Composition and Psychology. Implications of our findings are presented and recommendations for future research are made.

Authors

• George W. Moore, Sam Houston State University

• John R. Slate, Sam Houston State University