A gender gap has opened up between boys and girls in maths and science subjects in England, a new report suggests.
The international study, carried out every four years and published by the Department for Education, found that the gap between boys and girls in Year 5 and Year 9 was significantly larger than in previous versions of the study.
The gap in Year 9 maths in England was wider than in any other country taking part in the study, with boys scoring 26 points higher than girls. In 2020, the gap was two points.
Schools Minister Catherine McKinnell said the government will continue to promote science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) subjects, “especially among girls”.
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), was carried out by researchers at University College London (UCL). The latest report uses data gathered in 2023.
In science, Year 9 boys in the study were 14 points ahead of girls. In the previous report, published in 2020 using 2019 data, girls scored three points higher than boys.
Jennie Golding, a co-author of the report from the Institute of Education at UCL, believes issues around confidence and a sense of belonging could be possible reasons why girls’ performance has suffered.
But she said more research was needed to understand and address it, with boys and girls getting similar TIMSS scores in previous studies.
Mary Richardson, the report’s other co-author, said: “It is possible that some of the effects of Covid, learning loss and changes to learning environments are now revealing themselves.”
This is the first time the assessment has been fully digital, which may have had an impact on scores, researchers said.
A gender gap has opened up in favour of boys since the last report in comparative countries too, such as Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
In England, the gap is much closer when looking at Year 6 Sats results for 2024, where girls continued to outperform boys at the expected standard in all subjects apart from maths, where boys outperformed girls by one percentage point.
It is a similar story for older age groups doing their GCSEs and A-levels, where boys tend to outperform girls in maths and science but to a lesser degree than in the latest TIMSS study.
Part of the TIMSS study also found that more boys reported feeling “very confident” in maths than girls.
Tanya Tracey, chief executive of the charity Girls Are Investors, said many of the girls and young women they support have a fear of failure and lack confidence.
The charity tries to encourage more women and girls to pursue careers in the male-dominated investing sector, through mentorship and workshops.
“Part of the job is knowing you won’t get it right all the time – that’s a surprise to many girls I think. They always think they have to be perfect,” she added.
The government said it would be looking at how to ensure all children get a strong foundation in maths through its curriculum and assessment review.
The schools minister said it was important to “break the link between background and success so every child can achieve and thrive”.
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