Girls More Confident in Reading, Boys in Maths
A new study published by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) has found that girls and boys can have different learning experiences, levels of confidence, and enjoyment of subjects even when their academic achievement is similar. The analysis, published on the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) platform, emphasizes that understanding educational equity requires examining students’ motivation to learn alongside their test results.
The study draws on data from three IEA assessments: the Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (LaNA), the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), and the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). It compares students’ attitudes toward reading and mathematics across low-, lower-middle-, and high-income countries. The findings show that girls report enjoying reading more than boys in almost every country examined. In contrast, in high-income countries, boys report greater enjoyment of mathematics and higher confidence in their abilities, even when their academic achievement is comparable to that of girls.
One of the study’s key findings is that differences in motivation persist even after academic achievement is taken into account. This suggests that students’ attitudes toward subjects cannot be explained by academic performance alone. Gender stereotypes, teacher expectations, classroom practices, and cultural contexts may also influence students’ confidence and learning experiences.