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What drives the reversal of the gender education gap? Evidence from Germany

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  • Regina T. Riphahn
  • Caroline Schwientek

Abstract

We study the mechanisms that are associated with the gender education gap and its reversal in Germany. We focus on three outcomes, graduation from upper secondary school, any tertiary education, and tertiary degree. Neither individual and family background nor labor market characteristics appear to be strongly associated with the gender education gap. There is some evidence that the gender gap in upper secondary education reflects the rising share of single parent households which impacts boys' attainment more than girls'. The gender education gap in tertiary education is correlated with the development of class sizes and social norms.

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  • Regina T. Riphahn & Caroline Schwientek, 2015. "What drives the reversal of the gender education gap? Evidence from Germany," Working Papers 159, Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics (BGPE).
    • Handle: RePEc:bav:wpaper:159_riphahnschwientek
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    Cited by:

    1. Kunwon Ahn & John V. Winters, 2023. "Does education enhance entrepreneurship?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 717-743, August.
    2. Markus Zimmermann, 2022. "Explaining gaps in educational transitions between migrant and native school leavers," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(15), pages 1759-1786, March.
    3. Amory Gethin & Clara Martínez-Toledano & Thomas Piketty, 2022. "Brahmin Left Versus Merchant Right: Changing Political Cleavages in 21 Western Democracies, 1948–2020," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 137(1), pages 1-48.
    4. Barbara Boelmann, 2024. "Women's Missing Mobility and the Gender Gap in Higher Education: Evidence from Germany's University Expansion," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2024_518, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    5. Matthias Westphal & Daniel A Kamhöfer & Hendrik Schmitz, 2022. "Marginal College Wage Premiums Under Selection Into Employment," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(646), pages 2231-2272.
    6. Kelly Bedard & Allison Witman, 2020. "Family structure and the gender gap in ADHD," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 1101-1129, December.
    7. Zimmermann, Markus & Fitzenberger, Bernd & Osikominu, Aderonke, 2016. "Cohort Changes in Educational Pathways and Returns to Education," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145927, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    8. Øystein Hernæs & Simen Markussen & Knut Røed, 2019. "Television, Cognitive Ability, and High School Completion," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 54(2), pages 371-400.
    9. 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.
    10. Chae, Minhee & Meng, Xin & Xue, Sen, 2023. "Fertility, Son-Preference, and the Reversal of the Gender Gap in Literacy/Numeracy Tests," IZA Discussion Papers 16208, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Xiangdan Piao & Xinxin Ma & Shunsuke Managi, 2021. "Impact of the Intra-household Education Gap on Wives’ and Husbands’ Well-Being: Evidence from Cross-Country Microdata," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 156(1), pages 111-136, July.
    12. Manhisse, Nelson & Ogawa, Keiichi, 2024. "Smallholder households and children’s schooling in primary education in Mozambique," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    13. Barbara Boelmann, 2024. "Women’s Missing Mobility and the Gender Gap in Higher Education: Evidence from Germany’s University Expansion," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 280, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    14. Bruna Campisano & Giuseppe Migali & Steve Bradley, 2024. "Spatial Variations in the Impact of Covid-19 on the Educational Gender Gap in English Secondary Schools," Working Papers 415678839, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    educational attainment; wage premium; gender gap;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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