| Catherine Riegle-Crumb
University of Chicago
The math and science gender gap in international context: Looking for patterns and particulars
FINAL REPORT:
The math and science gender gap varies in nature and in scale across different nations. Yet its existence points to the absence of equitable opportunities and experiences for half of the world's population. Through analysis of data from the Third International Math and Science Survey (TIMSS), I will undertake an in-depth exploration of girls' math and science education in an international context. This project will consist of three main parts and analyses at two levels. Parts one and two involve country-level analyses to examine national patterns. First, I will examine the effects of students' self-assessment of math and science on the gender gap in test scores. Using students' responses to background surveys, I will construct variables to represent the following categories of self-assessment: perceived skill, interest, utiity, relevance, and attribution. Second, I will examine the relationship between students' self-assessment and larger issues of women's status. Finally, I will examine how both structural and ideational gender stratification influences individuals' math and science self-assessment, focusing on three separate countries: Singapore, the United States, and South Africa. Structural gender stratification refers to aspects of home and family life which present direct constraints to girls' education, such as role conflict and division of labor, while ideational influences are messages girls receive about the way the world around them is gendered. By putting the gender gap in an international perspective, researchers can determine what is particular to their country, and what patterns are common across national boundaries. Furthermore, understanding some of the factors influencing girls' achievement in math and science is vital in order for policymakers to design programs which more effectively encourage higher levels of performance.
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