Why do boys do better than girls at maths in Ireland?
Analysis: Recent research has shown that in there is a gender gap in mathematics achievement between boys and girls in Ireland
This question has been debated in many countries for a number of years. While the question is important and needs to be addressed, sometimes even asking the question reinforces the idea that boys are inherently better at mathematics than girls.
What's the evidence?
Since 1995, countries have been participating in large comparative studies of primary and secondary school students' mathematics achievement. Findings from these studies indicate that in many countries there is a tendency for boys to outperform girls. Ireland participates in these global comparative studies. For example, Ireland was included in the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which assesses students in fourth class (primary school) and second year (secondary school). In 1995, 2015 and 2019, Ireland, unlike many other countries, reported little or no difference between the mathematics achievement of boys and girls.
However, in the most recent version of the study in 2023, a gender-related difference was found, with second year boys obtaining a greater score on the assessment relative to the girls. A review of the trend of boys' and girls' scores from previous iterations of the study suggests that the emergence of the gap in Ireland is not primarily due to an improvement in the boys' performance, but rather a decrease in the score that the girls achieved.
From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, Dr Flavia H. Santos from the UCD School of Psychology discusses report on higher levels of maths anxiety for girls
Similar findings pertaining to a gender gap in Ireland have been reported in the 2022 iteration of OECD-administered Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which assessed 15 years-olds' ability to use mathematics to solve real-life problems. In PISA 2022, relative to boys, a greater proportion of girls obtained the lowest scores and a smaller proportion of girls achieved the highest scores. In national assessments, in comparison to boys, fewer girls are achieving the highest grades in mathematics at Higher Level in both the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate, with the proportion of girls achieving these higher grades in decline since 2001.
What does research say about the gender gap?
A number of studies state that boys are not naturally better at mathematics than girls. In TIMSS 2023, for example, girls outperformed boys in four countries and no gender-related differences were reported in 17 countries. Instead of biological factors then the research points to three other factors that are contributing to the difference in mathematical achievement.
Gender-related stereotypes and expectations impact on girls' performance in mathematics, with subtle messages in society depicting that the subject is more suited to boys than girls. Gender-related stereotypes can affect us all and consequently, and often unconsciously, are recirculated in homes, schools and communities. For example, research in Ireland by McCoy, Byrne and O'Connor (2021) found that mothers and teachers of 9-year old children are more likely to rate boys, as opposed to girls, as "excellent" or "above average" in mathematics and tend to overestimate boys' and underestimate high performing girls' ability in the subject.
Gender-related stereotypes and expectations are influential, as it is understood that they contribute to girls having lower levels of confidence in their mathematical ability and being more likely to experience anxiety toward the subject.
What can we do?
In many countries over the last number of years, there have been efforts to address the gender gap in mathematical achievement. These efforts focus on the girls themselves, often with the intention to increase their confidence and interest, and target a change in mindset. While these efforts can help, such approaches have faced criticism, particularly as they place responsibility on the girls themselves instead of addressing the wider social and environmental factors that contribute to this problem. Therefore to address the gender gap in mathematical achievement, interventions must encompass the belief that all learners, irrespective of gender, can achieve success in mathematics.
Are there any initiatives underway in Ireland to address the issue?
There are currently initiatives taking place in Ireland funded by Research Ireland and the Department of Education that are targeting the issue. For instance, the STEM Passport for Inclusion by Maynooth University in partnership with Microsoft Ireland, WiSTEM2D by Johnson & Johnson and MathsMinds: Inspiring STEM Futures by the University of Galway and the University of Limerick all aim to encourage greater participation of girls in mathematics, challenge gender stereotypes in mathematics, and create more inclusive learning opportunities. These initiatives, and others like them, can play an important role in closing the gender gap in mathematical achievement in Ireland.
From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, Why do boys outperform girls at Leaving Cert maths?
The way forward
The question of why boys outperform girls in mathematics assessments is important, yet it highlights, and perhaps reinforces, the very issue that needs to be resolved – gender differences in mathematics.
Ultimately, the scores that students achieve in assessments are the product of a complex process of how boys and girls learn mathematics and view themselves in relation to the subject. Perhaps then the focus should not necessarily be on increasing the scores that students obtain in the assessments per se, but rather on how we can enable all children to view themselves as capable of achieving
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