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Do the maths: An analysis of the gender gap in mathematics in Africa

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  • Dickerson, Andy
  • McIntosh, Steven
  • Valente, Christine

Abstract

This paper uses microdata for 19 African countries to examine the gender difference in maths test scores amongst primary school children. There is a significant difference in maths test scores in favour of boys, similar to that previously observed in developed countries. This difference cannot be explained by gender differences in school quality, home environment, or within-school gender discrimination in access to schooling inputs. However, the gender gap varies widely with characteristics of the regions in which the pupils live, and these regional characteristics are more predictive of the gender gap than parental education and school characteristics, including teacher gender. At the cross-country level, differences in fertility rates account for nearly half the variation in the gender gap, and this relationship is not due to the correlation between fertility and GDP.

Suggested Citation

  • Dickerson, Andy & McIntosh, Steven & Valente, Christine, 2015. "Do the maths: An analysis of the gender gap in mathematics in Africa," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 1-22.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:46:y:2015:i:c:p:1-22
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2015.02.005
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    Cited by:

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    2. Buhl-Wiggers, Julie & Jones, Sam & Thornton, Rebecca, 2021. "Boys lagging behind: Unpacking gender differences in academic achievement across East Africa," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    3. Harounan Kazianga & Leigh Linden & Ali Protik & Matt Sloan, 2016. "The Medium-Term Impacts of Girl-Friendly Schools: Seven-Year Evidence from School Construction in Burkina Faso," Development Working Papers 406, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano, revised 11 Nov 2016.
    4. Hendrik van Broekhuizen & Nic Spaull, 2017. "The ‘Martha Effect’: The compounding female advantage in South African higher education," Working Papers 14/2017, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    5. Hervé, Justine & Mani, Subha & Behrman, Jere R. & Nandi, Arindam & Lamkang, Anjana Sankhil & Laxminarayan, Ramanan, 2022. "Gender gaps in cognitive and noncognitive skills among adolescents in India," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 66-97.
    6. Mohammad Niaz Asadullah, Nazmul Chaudhury, 2013. "Primary Schooling, Student Learning, and School Quality in Rural Bangladesh-Working Paper 349," Working Papers 349, Center for Global Development.
    7. Muñoz, Juan Sebastián, 2018. "The economics behind the math gender gap: Colombian evidence on the role of sample selection," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 368-391.
    8. Nordman, Christophe Jalil & Sarr, Leopold & Sharma, Smriti, 2015. "Cognitive, Non-Cognitive Skills and Gender Wage Gaps: Evidence from Linked Employer-Employee Data in Bangladesh," IZA Discussion Papers 9132, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. World Bank Group, 2015. "Education Service Delivery in Tanzania," World Bank Publications - Reports 24797, The World Bank Group.
    10. Doris, Aedín & O’Neill, Donal & Sweetman, Olive, 2013. "Gender, single-sex schooling and maths achievement," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 104-119.
    11. Garcia-Hernandez, Ana & Grossman, Guy & Michelitch, Kristin, 2022. "Gender gap in politician performance and its determinants," Ruhr Economic Papers 972, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    12. Chris Desmond & Kathryn Watt & Sara Naicker & Jere Behrman & Linda Richter, 2024. "Girls' schooling is important but insufficient to promote equality for boys and girls in childhood and across the life course," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 42(1), January.
    13. Ho, Manh-Toan & La, Viet-Phuong & Nguyen, Minh-Hoang & Pham, Thanh-Hang & Vuong, Thu-Trang & Vuong, Ha-My & Pham, Hung-Hiep & Hoang, Anh-Duc & Vuong, Quan-Hoang, 2020. "An analytical view on STEM education and outcomes: Examples of the social gap and gender disparity in Vietnam," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    14. Hervé, Justine & Mani, Subha & Behrman, Jere R. & Nandi, Arindam & Sankhil Lamkang, Anjana & Laxminarayan, Ramanan, 2021. "Gender Gaps in Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills: Roles of SES and Gender Attitudes," IZA Discussion Papers 14132, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Gevrek, Z. Eylem & Gevrek, Deniz & Neumeier, Christian, 2020. "Explaining the gender gaps in mathematics achievement and attitudes: The role of societal gender equality," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    16. Rebekka Rühle, 2022. "Mind the gap – an analysis of gender differences in mathematics and science achievement in South Africa," Working Papers 04/2022, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    17. Gevrek, Z. Eylem & Neumeier, Christian & Gevrek, Deniz, 2018. "Explaining the Gender Test Score Gap in Mathematics: The Role of Gender Inequality," IZA Discussion Papers 11260, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    18. Delprato, Marcos, 2022. "Educational gender gap in sub-Saharan Africa: Does the estimation method matter? A comparison using a sample of opposite sex twins," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    19. Kumar, Deepak & Choudhury, Pradeep Kumar, 2021. "Do private schools really produce more learning than public schools in India? Accounting for student’s school absenteeism and the time spent on homework," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    20. Ha Trong Nguyen, 2015. "The evolution of the gender test score gap through seventh grade: New insights from Australia using quantile regression and decomposition," Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre Working Paper series WP1507, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School.
    21. Romuald Foueka, 2020. "Analyse du différentiel de performances scolaires dans les pays PASEC sur la base de la régression quantile contrefactuelle," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 32(4), pages 605-618, December.
    22. Chandan Jain, 2019. "Analysing Changes in Gender Difference in Learning in Rural India over Time," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 17(4), pages 913-935, December.
    23. Oscar David Marcenaro‐Gutierrez & Luis Alejandro Lopez‐Agudo, 2020. "Does Teacher Subject Knowledge Contribute to Student Academic Performance in Developing and Least Developed Countries?," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 88(3), pages 267-297, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cognitive maths skills; Gender; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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