Gender Differences in the Mathematics Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination: Real or Imagined?

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Abstract

Gender differences are often reported using overall mean group differences only. This practice may be misleading since it can mask the gender differences pattern across the score distribution. Using data from the Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination (BSSEE), this study examines gender differences across four examination periods, at the lower (10th, 20th), middle (50th) and upper (above 80th, 90th) percentiles of the mathematics distributions. The overall differences favoured females, with gender differences being largest at the middle of the distribution. At the lower end of the distribution, even though there was an over-representation of boys; girls generally outperformed boys. However, among high performing mathematics candidates, the gap narrowed, occasionally favouring boys.

Authors

• Mary Grace-Anne Jackman, The University of the West Indies - Cave Hill

• Ian Alwyn Marshall, The University of the West Indies - Cave Hill

• Brendalee R Cato, Walden University