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Decomposing international gender test score differences

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  • Farzana Munir

    (Bahauddin Zakariya University)

  • Rudolf Winter-Ebmer

    (Johannes Kepler University)

Abstract

In this paper, we decompose worldwide PISA mathematics and reading scores. While mathematics scores are still tilted towards boys, girls have a larger advantage in reading over boys. Girls’ disadvantage in mathematics is increasing over the distribution of talents. Our decomposition shows that part of this increase can be explained by an increasing trend in productive endowments and learning productivity, although the largest part remains unexplained. Countries’ general level of gender (in)equality also contributes to girls’ disadvantage. For reading, at the upper end of the talent distribution, girls’ advantage can be fully explained by differences in learning productivity, but this is not so at lower levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Farzana Munir & Rudolf Winter-Ebmer, 2018. "Decomposing international gender test score differences," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 52(1), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jlabrs:v:52:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1186_s12651-018-0246-8
    DOI: 10.1186/s12651-018-0246-8
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    1. Alice Bertoletti & Marta Cannistrà & Melisa Diaz Lema & Chiara Masci & Anna Mergoni & Lidia Rossi & Mara Soncin, 2023. "The Determinants of Mathematics Achievement: A Gender Perspective Using Multilevel Random Forest," Economies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-20, January.
    2. Romuald Foueka, 2020. "Analyse du différentiel de performances scolaires dans les pays PASEC sur la base de la régression quantile contrefactuelle," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 32(4), pages 605-618, December.
    3. Giovanna Di Castro & Valentina Ferri, 2022. "Why do boys perform worse than girls in reading literacy? Evidences from PISA survey 2018," RIEDS - Rivista Italiana di Economia, Demografia e Statistica - The Italian Journal of Economic, Demographic and Statistical Studies, SIEDS Societa' Italiana di Economia Demografia e Statistica, vol. 76(1), pages 144-156, January-M.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gender gap; Test scores; PISA; Mathematics; Reading;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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