Exploring the Influencing Factors on the Gender Gap in Mathematics Achievement: Evidence From South Korea

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 7
  In Poster Session: Using National and International Data Sets to Explore Students' Mathematics Performance

Abstract

For capturing the relationship between single-sex schooling and math achievement in South Korea, also exploring the role of math self-efficacy to the gender difference, the dataset from Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) was used. Hierarchical linear models were designed with a better weighting method. Results suggested single-sex schooling was not related to math achievement, even this estimation was in the grey area. Boys in boys-only schools scored higher than students in coeducational schools, girls in girls-only schools scored no significant difference with students in coeducational schools. The math self-efficacy was shown to influence students’ math achievement and gender gap successfully. Boys were more sensitive to the effect of self-efficacy than girls. Lastly, implications and future study thought were discussed.

Authors

• Xuran Wang, Michigan State University

• Yin Wu, McGill University