Girls' and Boys' Mathematics and Science Performance: A Comparative Analysis Using 20 Years of TIMSS

• In Event: 21.045 - Stem Through an International Lens

Abstract

This paper examines how gender gaps in mathematics and science achievement may have changed in the past two decades, using fourth- and eighth-grade data from seven education systems (England, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iran, Japan, Singapore, and the United States) that participated in all cycles of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) from 1995 to 2015. Specifically, over the 20 years, the study explores gender gap profiles at both the mean achievement level and at the 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles. The analysis examines differences in gender on average, among those who are low-performing, and among those who are high-performing. Results from this trend analysis can be used to better inform policymakers in addressing gender equity issues.

Author

• Frank Torres Fonseca, American Institutes for Research