IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/injoed/v113y2025ics0738059325000197.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on gender gaps in mathematics: The role of socioeconomic status in Chile

Author

Listed:
  • Meneses, Francisco
  • Ortega, Lorena
  • Kuzmanic, Danilo
  • Valenzuela, Juan Pablo

Abstract

In many countries, the COVID-19 pandemic widened pre-existing gaps in educational outcomes. This study estimates the differential effect of the pandemic on girls' and boys' mathematics achievement progress from Grades 6–10 in Chile, where extended school closures took place. To this end, we analyzed data from a national standardized test (N = 415,046 students) using multilevel models. The gender gap in mathematics achievement gains increased significantly to the detriment of girls during the pandemic. The widening of the gap was larger in high-SES schools. These findings underscore the gendered nuances of socioeconomic advantage within the Chilean school system.

Suggested Citation

  • Meneses, Francisco & Ortega, Lorena & Kuzmanic, Danilo & Valenzuela, Juan Pablo, 2025. "Analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on gender gaps in mathematics: The role of socioeconomic status in Chile," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:injoed:v:113:y:2025:i:c:s0738059325000197
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103221
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0738059325000197
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103221?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sacerdote, Bruce, 2011. "Peer Effects in Education: How Might They Work, How Big Are They and How Much Do We Know Thus Far?," Handbook of the Economics of Education, in: Erik Hanushek & Stephen Machin & Ludger Woessmann (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Education, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 4, pages 249-277, Elsevier.
    2. Sevilla, María Paola & Bordón, Paola & Ramirez-Espinoza, Fernanda, 2023. "Reinforcing the STEM pipeline in vocational-technical high schools: The effect of female teachers," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    3. Brenøe, Anne Ardila & Lundberg, Shelly, 2018. "Gender gaps in the effects of childhood family environment: Do they persist into adulthood?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 42-62.
    4. Marín Llanes, Lucas & Rodríguez Pico, Mariana & Maldonado, Darío & García, Sandra, 2023. "Learning inequality during Covid-19: Evidence from secondary schools in Colombia," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    5. Hevia, Felipe J. & Vergara-Lope, Samana & Velásquez-Durán, Anabel & Calderón, David, 2022. "Estimation of the fundamental learning loss and learning poverty related to COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    6. Michela Carlana, 2019. "Implicit Stereotypes: Evidence from Teachers’ Gender Bias," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 134(3), pages 1163-1224.
    7. Contini Dalit & Di Tommaso Maria Laura & Muratori Caterina & Piazzalunga Daniela & Schiavon Lucia, 2022. "Who Lost the Most? Mathematics Achievement during the COVID-19 Pandemic," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 22(2), pages 399-408, April.
    8. Renata Semenza & Giorgio Boccardo & Simone Sarti, 2021. "So Far, so Similar? Labour Market Feminization in Italy and Chile," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 154(3), pages 917-942, April.
    9. Dossi, Gaia & Figlio, David & Giuliano, Paola & Sapienza, Paola, 2021. "Born in the family: Preferences for boys and the gender gap in math," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 175-188.
    10. Bates, Douglas & Mächler, Martin & Bolker, Ben & Walker, Steve, 2015. "Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 67(i01).
    11. Agostinelli, Francesco & Doepke, Matthias & Sorrenti, Giuseppe & Zilibotti, Fabrizio, 2022. "When the great equalizer shuts down: Schools, peers, and parents in pandemic times," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    12. Paredes, Valentina, 2014. "A teacher like me or a student like me? Role model versus teacher bias effect," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 38-49.
    13. Jakubowski,Maciej Jan & Gajderowicz,Tomasz Janusz & Patrinos,Harry Anthony, 2024. "COVID-19, School Closures, and Student Learning Outcomes : New Global Evidence from PISA," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10666, The World Bank.
    14. Bordón, Paola & Canals, Catalina & Mizala, Alejandra, 2020. "The gender gap in college major choice in Chile," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    15. Bastian A. Betthäuser & Anders M. Bach-Mortensen & Per Engzell, 2023. "A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on learning during the COVID-19 pandemic," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 7(3), pages 375-385, March.
    16. Francisco Martínez & Salomé Martínez & Alejandra Mizala, 2015. "Pre-service Elementary School Teachers’ Expectations about Student Performance: How their Beliefs are affected by their Mathematics Anxiety and Student’s Gender," Documentos de Trabajo 310, Centro de Economía Aplicada, Universidad de Chile.
    17. Stephanie R. Psaki & Katharine J. McCarthy & Barbara S. Mensch, 2018. "Measuring Gender Equality in Education: Lessons from Trends in 43 Countries," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 44(1), pages 117-142, March.
    18. Kuzmanic, Danilo & Valenzuela, Juan Pablo & Claro, Susana & Canales, Andrea & Cerda, Daniela & Undurraga, Eduardo A., 2023. "Socioeconomic disparities in the reopening of schools during the pandemic in Chile," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Di Tommaso, Maria Laura & Contini, Dalit & De Rosa, Dalila & Ferrara, Francesca & Piazzalunga, Daniela & Robutti, Ornella, 2024. "Tackling the gender gap in mathematics with active learning methodologies," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    2. Anna Adamecz & John Jerrim & Jean-Baptiste Pingault & Nikki Shure, 2025. "Peers, parents, and self-perceptions: the gender gap in mathematics self-assessment," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 38(1), pages 1-33, March.
    3. Alderighi, Lorenzo & Ballatore, Rosario M. & Tonello, Marco, 2023. "Hidden drop-out: Secondary education (unseen) failure in pandemic times," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1293, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    4. Alice Bertoletti & Marta Cannistrà & Melisa Diaz Lema & Chiara Masci & Anna Mergoni & Lidia Rossi & Mara Soncin, 2023. "The Determinants of Mathematics Achievement: A Gender Perspective Using Multilevel Random Forest," Economies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-20, January.
    5. Delaney, Judith M. & Devereux, Paul J., 2021. "Gender and Educational Achievement: Stylized Facts and Causal Evidence," IZA Discussion Papers 14074, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Alan, Sule & Turkum, Betul, 2024. "Abstract reasoning, theory of mind and character development in the school," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 221(C), pages 307-326.
    7. DI PIETRO Giorgio, 2023. "The impact of Covid-19 physical school closure on student performance in OECD countries: a meta-analysis," JRC Research Reports JRC134506, Joint Research Centre.
    8. Alejo, Anna & Jenkins, Robert & Reuge, Nicolas & Yao, Haogen, 2023. "Understanding and addressing the post-pandemic learning disparities," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    9. Ainoa Aparicio Fenoll, 2025. "The different effects of Covid on children with parents in teleworkable and non-teleworkable occupations," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 38(1), pages 1-28, March.
    10. Laura Pagani & Giovanni Pica, 2021. "A Peer Like Me? Early Exposure to High Achievers in Math and Later Educational Outcomes," Development Working Papers 476, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano.
    11. Gustavo A. Marrero & Juan C. Palomino & Gabriela Sicilia, 2024. "Inequality of opportunity in educational achievement in Western Europe: contributors and channels," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 22(2), pages 383-410, June.
    12. Kuzmanic, Danilo & Valenzuela, Juan Pablo & Claro, Susana & Canales, Andrea & Cerda, Daniela & Undurraga, Eduardo A., 2023. "Socioeconomic disparities in the reopening of schools during the pandemic in Chile," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    13. Sofoklis Goulas & Rigissa Megalokonomou & Panagiotis Sotirakopoulos, 2025. "Top-performing girls are more impactful peer role models than boys, teachers say," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 122(6), pages 2421436122-, February.
    14. Liwen Chen & Bobby Chung & Guanghua Wang, 2022. "Stay-at-Home Peer Mothers and Gender Norms: Short-run Effects on Educational Outcomes," Working Papers 2022-039, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    15. Graziella Bertocchi & Luca Bonacini & Marina Murat, 2021. "Adams and Eves: The Gender Gap in Economics Majors," EIEF Working Papers Series 2115, Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance (EIEF), revised Dec 2021.
    16. Rakshit, Sonali & Sahoo, Soham, 2023. "Biased teachers and gender gap in learning outcomes: Evidence from India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    17. Michela Carlana & Eliana La Ferrara & Paolo Pinotti, 2022. "Goals and Gaps: Educational Careers of Immigrant Children," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(1), pages 1-29, January.
    18. Monroy-Gómez-Franco, Luis & Vélez-Grajales, Roberto & López-Calva, Luis F., 2022. "The potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on learnings," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    19. Das, Upasak & Singhal, Karan, 2023. "Solving it correctly: Prevalence and persistence of gender gap in basic mathematics in rural India," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    20. Graziella Bertocchi & Luca Bonacini & Marina Murat, 2023. "Adams and Eves: High school math and the gender gap in Economics majors," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 61(4), pages 798-817, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:injoed:v:113:y:2025:i:c:s0738059325000197. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-educational-development .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.