Rapid emergence of a maths gender gap in first grade
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.A 4-year study of over 2.6 million French students found that gender disparities in math performance emerge during the first year of schooling. This gap, favoring boys, appears linked to schooling rather than age, highlighting early education
Area Of Science
- Educational Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Sociolinguistics
Background
- Gender disparities in mathematics are a global concern.
- Early childhood reveals similar core knowledge in math between genders.
- Sociocultural stereotypes, such as 'girls are bad at math,' are hypothesized to drive disparities.
Purpose Of The Study
- To investigate the emergence and progression of gender disparities in mathematical performance.
- To determine the timing and context (schooling vs. age) of this gender gap's development.
- To identify the initial phase of schooling as a critical period for intervention.
Main Methods
- Longitudinal assessment over 4 years.
- Inclusion of all French first and second graders (2,653,082 children).
- Analysis of mathematical and language performance, considering family, class, school type, and socio-economic level.
Main Results
- Boys and girls showed similar math scores at school entry.
- A significant gender gap favoring boys emerged after 4 months of schooling.
- The gender gap increased with schooling, not age, with an effect size of ~0.20 after 1 year.
- Findings were consistent across various demographic factors.
Conclusions
- The first year of school is identified as the critical period for the emergence of a math gender gap.
- Schooling, not chronological age, is the primary driver of this disparity.
- Findings provide a focused target for interventions aimed at preventing gender gaps in math.
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