Despite women's increasing presence in higher education, underrepresentation in math-related fields persists. This study uses PISA 2012 data from 251,120 15-year-old students across 61 countries to analyze gender differences in intentions to pursue math-related studies, considering math performance. Results reveal a positive correlation between math performance and intentions for both genders, but this correlation is stronger among boys. The gender gap in intentions is minimal among low performers but widens significantly with increasing math ability. Consequently, the gender gap in math performance is larger among students intending to study math than in the general population. These findings are robust across various analyses and suggest that addressing the gender gap in math requires targeted interventions focusing on high-performing girls.
Publisher
Nature Communications
Published On
Jun 27, 2023
Authors
Thomas Breda, Elyès Jouini, Clotilde Napp
Tags
gender differences
math performance
PISA 2012
education
high-performing girls
academic intentions
underrepresentation
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