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Gender differences in the intention to study math increase with math performance

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas Breda

    (Paris School of Economics
    CNRS, 3 rue Michel Ange)

  • Elyès Jouini

    (CNRS, 3 rue Michel Ange
    Place du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny)

  • Clotilde Napp

    (CNRS, 3 rue Michel Ange
    Place du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny)

Abstract

Even though females currently outnumber males in higher education, they remain largely underrepresented in math-related fields of study, with no sign of improvement during the past decades. To better understand which students drive this underrepresentation, we use PISA 2012 data on 251,120 15-year-old students in 61 countries to analyse boys’ and girls’ educational intentions along the ability distribution on math assessment tests. We analyze the percentages of boys and girls intending to pursue math-related studies or careers as a function of math performance. First, we show that for both boys and girls, there is a positive and linear relation between the probability of intending to pursue math and math performance. Second, the positive relation is stronger among boys than among girls. In particular, the gender gap in student intentions to pursue math-related studies or careers is close to zero among the poorest performers in math and increases steadily with math performance. Third, as a consequence, the gender gap in math performance, to the detriment of girls, is larger among students intending to pursue math than in the general student population.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Breda & Elyès Jouini & Clotilde Napp, 2023. "Gender differences in the intention to study math increase with math performance," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-39079-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39079-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Delaney, Judith M. & Devereux, Paul J., 2019. "It's Not Just for Boys! Understanding Gender Differences in STEM," IZA Discussion Papers 12176, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Brown, Charles & Corcoran, Mary, 1997. "Sex-Based Differences in School Content and the Male-Female Wage Gap," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 15(3), pages 431-465, July.
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    4. Breda, Thomas & Grenet, Julien & Monnet, Marion & Van Effenterre, Clémentine, 2020. "Do Female Role Models Reduce the Gender Gap in Science? Evidence from French High Schools," IZA Discussion Papers 13163, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Thomas Breda & Elyès Jouini & Clotilde Napp & Georgia Thebault, 2020. "Gender stereotypes can explain the gender-equality paradox," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 117(49), pages 31063-31069, December.
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    8. Delaney, Judith M. & Devereux, Paul J., 2019. "Understanding gender differences in STEM: Evidence from college applications✰," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 219-238.
    9. Justman, Moshe & Méndez, Susan J., 2018. "Gendered choices of STEM subjects for matriculation are not driven by prior differences in mathematical achievement," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 282-297.
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    Cited by:

    1. Larissa Fuchs & Pia Pinger & Philipp Seegers, 2025. "Relative Grades and Gender Differences in STEM Enrollment," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2025_633, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.

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