For math, science, boys lead on achievement tests while girls do better on classroom grades, research reveals
Despite the stereotype that boys do better in math and science, girls have made higher grades than boys throughout their school years for nearly a century, according to a new analysis published by the American Psychological Association.
“Although gender differences follow essentially stereotypical patterns on achievement tests in which boys typically score higher on math and science, females have the advantage on school grades regardless of the material,” said lead study author Daniel Voyer, PhD, of the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada. “School marks reflect learning in the larger social context of the classroom and require effort and persistence over long periods of time, whereas standardized tests assess basic or specialized academic abilities and aptitudes at one point in time without social influences.”
Based on research from 1914 through 2011 that spanned more than 30 countries, the study found the differences in grades between girls and boys were largest for language courses and smallest for math and science. The female advantage in school performance in math and science did not become apparent until junior or middle school, according to the study, published in the APA journal Psychological Bulletin. The degree of gender difference in grades increased from elementary to middle school, but decreased between high school and college.
The researchers examined 369 samples from 308 studies, reflecting grades of 538,710 boys and 595,332 girls. Seventy percent of the samples consisted of students from the United States. Other countries or regions represented by more than one sample included Norway, Canada, Turkey, Germany, Taiwan, Malaysia, Israel, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Slovakia, United Kingdom Africa and Finland. Countries represented by one sample included Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Mexico, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Jordan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Slovenia.
All studies included an evaluation of gender differences in teacher-assigned grades or official grade point averages in elementary, junior/middle or high school, or undergraduate and graduate university. Studies that relied on self-report and those about special populations, such as high-risk or mentored students, were excluded. The studies also looked at variables that might affect the students’ grades, such as the country where students attended school, course material, students’ ages at the time the grades were obtained, the study date and racial composition of the samples.
The study reveals that recent claims of a “boy crisis,” with boys lagging behind girls in school achievement, are not accurate because girls’ grades have been consistently higher than boys’ across several decades with no significant changes in recent years, the authors wrote.
“The fact that females generally perform better than their male counterparts throughout what is essentially mandatory schooling in most countries seems to be a well-kept secret, considering how little attention it has received as a global phenomenon,” said co-author Susan Voyer, MASc, also of the University of New Brunswick.
As for why girls perform better in school than boys, the authors speculated that social and cultural factors could be among several possible explanations. Parents may assume boys are better at math and science so they might encourage girls to put more effort into their studies, which could lead to the slight advantage girls have in all courses, they wrote. Gender differences in learning styles is another possibility. Previous research has shown girls tend to study in order to understand the materials, whereas boys emphasize performance, which indicates a focus on the final grades. “Mastery of the subject matter generally produces better marks than performance emphasis, so this could account in part for males’ lower marks than females,” the authors wrote.
“Girls are generally smarter than boys” we all have heard it a lot of times making this a very controversial issue. Going through the article its clearly understood that girls are generally smarter than boys well because it has been scientifically proven and we as the youth we believe anything with supported facts. It was quite interesting reafing the article and thenseeing how everyone else thought of the article.
As a female I know myself that if the article had said otherwise I would have not even for a second have believed it though it was scientifically proven but seeint males actually agree with it was amazing.
Certain comments caught my eyes JJ du Toit mentioned how determination and hard work can easily disprove this experiment which I agree with. Though as we all know most males are practical and logical thinkers who find it easier to think outside the box can easily do better than females if their mind and heart were in it.
In my life I have met really smart males in maths and science but just couldn’t put it down on paper. Excuse me if I do seem biased against females but to me, we females, paper wise are intellectually stronger than males but is that what matters most, in the BIG WORLD out there? Our employers are they just going to focus on our intellectual ability or the ability to take the company to the next level which males are good at?
By far this article has gotten me worked up because like one’s behaviour, physical appearance and intelligence capacity of both males and females are hugely influenced not only by their genome but nurture too
“girls are generally smarter than boys” we all have heard it a lot of times making this a very controversial issue. Going through the article its clearly understood that girls are generally smarter than boys well because it has been scientifically proven and we as the youth we believe anything with supported facts. It was quite interesting reading the article and then seeing how everyone else thought of the article.
As a female I know myself that if the article has said otherwise I would have not even for a second have believed it though it was scientifically proven but seeing males actually agree with it was totally amazing.
Certain comments quite my eyes JJ du Toit mentioned how determination and hard work can easily disprove this experiment which I agree with. Though as we all know most males are practical and logical thinkers who find it easier to think outside the box can easily do better then females if their mind and hearts were in it.
In my life I have meant really smart males in maths and science but just couldn’t put it down on paper. Excuse me if I do seem to be biased against females but to me we females paper wise are intellectually stronger than males but is that what matters in the BIG WORLD out there? Our employers are they just going to focus on our intellectual ability or the ability to take the company to the next level which males are good at?
By far this article has gotten me worked up because like one’s behavior, physical appearance and intelligence capability of females and males are hugely influenced not only by their genotype but nurture too.
This article is interesting and important in the ever raging gender debate. I believe one reason for this phenomenon is the way genders are treated different.
Males are encouraged to be more mechanical and hands-on which explain their better achievements in the field of science which has been a male-dominated field in the past and most likely still is. Cultural and social factors also influence the phenomenon largely. Males are also scrutinised and labelled in school for academic performance, but later in life it becomes irrelevant. Females usually don’t experience the same level of scrutinisation. Another factor to include is the performance required for a female to be taken seriously in a male-dominated world.
It is known that males and females have the same intelligence, so it is important to ask why females have been performing better the last century and how we can remedy this problem.
Suprised?
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I find this article quite interesting simply because it is almost an indicator of the gender divide that still exists in today’s culture. I suspect that, since there is obviously no evidence of an intellectual divide between genders, that this discrepancy in marks is a result of various cultural systems and a legacy of an unequal past across the globe.
Historically, due to the mistaken belief that men were superior, science- and math-related fields were male-dominated. This could have created a culture where men strove to excel in these fields, and women did not. Although those systems became obsolete, such thinking is not as easily changed, which could be why men still seem to achieve better marks in these subjects.
The article makes some interesting points regarding the motivation of the different genders. I agree that males are more performance-orientated, which may be result of the effect of sport (male sport tends to be taken more seriously, as it is more commercially viable on higher levels) on boys, so that statement makes sense. I also think the sub-culture of apathy in schools needs to be researched in relation to this topic, because from personal observation it seems to me that boys have a culture of ‘cool’, which does not always allow for academic prestige, due to the ‘nerdy’ connotations. I think now that this divide has been established, it is important to identify the cause. Why are girls doing better than boys? Because, as the author states, at this point it is just speculation, and nothing can be done about the issue if we are guessing at the cause.
I found this article very interesting and thought provoking. The fact that girls generally outperform their male peers throughout mandatory schooling in most countries, can be attributed to a number of factors including social, cultural and different learning styles between genders. What I find interesting is that this outperformance is not a recent phenomenon but the research indicates that this has been happening for almost a century. What I would like to know is what educators and scientists believe should be done to facilitate the education of male children in order for them to also perform at their best. Should teaching methods be different for different genders? It is also interesting that despite this research which show girls to be outperforming the boys, males still dominate in the workplace. Statistics show that in fortune 500 companies less than 15% of Executive Officer positions are held by women and less than 18% of senior positions are held by women. Why is this? Why is the academic performance achieved by females not translated into equal success in the real world?
There are many factors that influence the way in while students perform. The dispute between male and female is fair because they differ so much. Male and female go through puberty at different ages; therefore females mature faster than males do. Thus they have a sense of responsibility for a younger age and see that their grades are important and therefore work harder to obtain good marks. As shown in the study by APA journal Psychological Bulletin, they discuss how girls only show an advantage over males during junior to middle school. Another reason is that girls are more driven; females aspire to be great and not bow down to male superiority. This makes them work harder. Boys are more physical compared to girls. They learn better through a more hands on approach for example, a boy would much rather learn through experiment than read about it in a text book. This is all a stereotype however, not all males or females fit into this category. Some males might enjoy reading and have no interest in the physical side of it and the opposite for females.
Taking into account the previous statements made ,I agree. I would however like to add that I am a great believer in equality among gender so what I have to say should in no way effect any one of the two. Male’s tend to concentrate on their sporting activities at a young age .There are certainly those that don’t but if one would consider a sports field at break time, the female to male ratio of students taking part in a sweaty sports game would paint the appropriate picture. Female’s don’t fall short of sporting abilities but the majority of girls in their early teens tend to converse with each other rather than play soccer or rugby. The competition between these girls could also be a reason for the statistics. But so it could, very well also be the case between the boys as previously stated. The fact remains that when looking at statistics one doesn’t concentrate on the exception but rather on the data as a whole and interpreting a general understanding of it. So the statistics don’t lie, but it is certainly debatable what the reasons are for them. The lack of concentration in boys at an early age due to the fact that they generally don’t find academics as appealing as sports could be said to be one, another could be the competition between individuals when put in certain situations and the last I would like to add and I hope could find more clarity on is the rumor that males are two years behind females in development at an early stage and then catch up later on. The latter I am very interested in ,if anybody could help clear that statement for me, I would be most grateful.
this is actually a great article scientifically proven and also the way things are in real life,i how ever do not agree with the fact that girls do better than boys in ”ALL SUBJECTS”.”Although gender differences follow essential stereotypical patterns on achievement tests in which boys score higher on maths and sciences,females have the advantage on school grades regardless of the material,” said lead study author Daniel Voyer, PhD, of this article.He is right that boys do exceptionally well on maths and sciences which do not need writing or presentation skills,those are the things that ensure that girls score higher on languages,everything is well collected.and also,the fact that the difference is seen at high school and colleges,that is because in these institutions they are not looking for the way you present but understanding.
one could say that being a girl is advantageous in primary schools due to the believe that all boys are no good cheating trouble makers while girls are innocent. this is the reason while girls do well in primary level and then things change in colleges. my teacher use to say that the reason that girls do not perform well high institutions is due to growth,puberty is reached earlier and then fail to concentrate, only a selected few who were genetically born with the intellectual genes are able to stay on top. i agree with this,they also have many duties.look after kids and hence not studying for the achievement tests. so this makes boys achieve more in maths and sciences than girls. so no matter how studies will be done,there is no way to truly check the true findings as these studies were done on selected characteristics and leaving others out but still they make conclusions for everyone. there is still going to be a huge debate on this.the best solution which I believe would be the best way to determine who is better than who in grades is checking their intellectual capabilities,yes hard work is also a factor not to be left out in this,but fairly checking their brains only will explain the difference in these grades.
The stereotype that boys perform better than girls in mathematics and science is a subject of speculation that has been argued about for the better part of the last two centuries. There should be no limitation to what you can achieve in any subject,just because of your gender.
In a male-dominated world,the success women or girls can achieve is underestimated and also not always recognized in careers that are still dominated by men. There is also not a genetic predisposition that males are better at maths or science,which should be taken into account. When looking at a person’s skills in a certain subject,one should look at the individual and not make the gender of that person a reason for determining whether they are able to be successful or not.
The only thing that should be taken into regard is a person’s hard work,perseverance,determination and achievements. But most certainly not their gender to determine their intelligence.
There is no reasonable doubt that boys are good in maths and science than girls but the only problem with boys is that they are lazy when it comes to work which requires more time to be completed like class assignments and research projects Even though girls are poor in science and maths they are able to focus and give attention to their work which makes them good in research and on their classroom work which requires a long time to be completed.Girls are good in larger social context witch requires more time and persistence to be completed. There are many biological and social influences which makes girls perform better than boys academically like the fact that girls are naturally gifted when it comes to assignments which require presentation and its believed that girls can speak better than boys and all this contribute to their better performance.
It more or less like it’s nature and came be changed whene girls start to perform better in math and science.But are better in math and science which is even proven from the the National institute of health also found that girls are better at memorizing and reciting than boys who tend to be better at arranging blocks to form patterns and solving problems,which is done indirectly in math and science.One’s study methods and time management plays a crucial part in the success of that subject. It depends on if the pupil has a stronger left or right side of the brain.
This topic has been widely debated. Now that it has been proven, it is advantageous because then norms can finally be set. No one denies that academically there has always been an unofficial competition between boys and girls. Boys tend to think more practically and logically and not focus so much on academic or theoretical areas which would explain why boys tend to do better in Maths and Science, while girls tend to have an affinity for literature and writing.
I do however believe that circumstances play a role in the performance of students. One of the best motivations to do better in academics is the competitive factor. In own experience we were a strong academic group of boys and were highly competitive. In the end there were 8 boys in the top 10 group. Academic achievement must depend on understanding, not on performance.
Being male/female does not need to influence how you perform in school, nothing can beat hard work and determination. Parents should encourage children of either sex to excel at school. Effort and persistence should be cultivated in any individual.
Being a male for all my life, I have found that males are prone to distraction. We easily underplay the severity of the academic task at hand, in order to convince ourselves that we need not do it right away. I, for one, have witnessed this state of mind amongst the majority of males. There are, of course, exceptions to this statement.
Girls tend to keep to their routines, schedules, and study times. Their self discipline in regard to academic tasks stands on much firmer ground than their male peers’.
This is because of various reasons, one possibly being the natural tendency for females to be more neat and orderly that males.
The results of this experiment should however not be confused with the intellectual capabilities of the subjects, as there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that one gender is intellectually superior to the other.
Girls achieving higher grades than boys is thus a definite reality. Though, intelligence is not to blame, self discipline, determination, and perseverance is.
It been proven through scientific findings that in comparison to boys, girls brain’s are larger but it can’t be concluded that girls are smarter than boys. Through the course of the history the greatest minds that have made inventions that have propelled men kind miles into the future are men. The likes of Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Chris Barnard etc. Neither can it be concluded that boys are smarter than girls. Comparing girls and boys is like comparing apples and oranges because at the end of the day we both contribute equally but in different ways.
There are many factors that influence the way in while students perform. The dispute between male and female is fair because they differ so much. Male and female go through puberty at different ages, therefore females mature faster than males do. Thus they have a sense of responsibility for a younger age and see that their grades are important and therefore work harder to obtain good marks. As shown in the study by APA journal Psychological Bulletin, they discuss how girls only show an advantage over males during junior to middle school. Another reason is that girls are more driven, females aspire to be great and not bow down to male superiority. This makes them work harder. Boys are more physical compared to to girls. they learn better through a more hands on approach for example, a boy would much rather learn through experiment than read about it in a text book. This is all a stereotype however, not all males nor females fit into this category. some males might enjoy reading and have no interest in the physical side of it and the opposite for females.
An important factor that is not been mentioned often is the factor of sports in children of the age 6-18. Boys are normally 20%-40% more when it comes to participating in sports at this age. As a sportsman who has spend hours training, I understand how sports can influence a persons academics. Sports can distract a child from academics as they focus on competition and not school work. Sports consume time as well as the factor of being tired and not wanting to do academic work. Due to the higher number of boys participating in sports girls has the advantage when it comes to school work.
It’s a girl’s, things it’s really great when now it’s scientifically proven. It had just answered one of the oldest questions it was an on-going question on why boys usually finish their academic programs later compared to girls. in many cases it was that boys get high grades in science and maths but would still be that they are 2 years older or more. In high school boys would usually say that teachers tend to give girls higher marks than them because they behave better and participate more than them. Until now that it’s proven that wasn’t teachers favoring girls than boys, but that really girls do get higher grades compared to boys.
I totally agree with Liberty.M about the issue of social and cultural factors in such a way that girls feel threatened when there are many leaders who are males and they just want to give it their all. They also impact boy’s behavior which lead to boys thinking that they have everything under control and that they are intelligent compared to girls hence girls ending up getting higher grades than boys.
The issue under discussion is not a new topic, and therefore it is not a surprise that the boys are seen as better in science and maths, than girls. The National Institute of Health also found that girls are better at memorizing and reciting than boys who tend to be better at arranging blocks to form patterns. Due to their sensitive nature, girls are drawn to poetry and literature and because it is seen as feminine, boys tend to steer clear of these subjects.
It is common sense that people excel in areas of interest to them, and therefore boys will excel in science and maths. However this does not mean that it is impossible for girls to achieve great success in these subjects. Hard work and determination allows you to reach any goal.
You are not limited to certain areas of expertise due to you gender. You are capable of anything you set your mind to.