| Catherine Riegle-Crumb
NORC, University of Chicago
Levels of gender inequality in math and science: The influence of objective and subjective factors
FINAL REPORT:
This paper investigates the similarities and differences between the United States and Australia with regard to gender differences in math and science achievement, attitudes, and perceptions, using data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS-95). While Australia has been more successful than the U.S. in promoting overall levels of math and science achievement, it has been less successful in attaining a more equitable gender distribution of adults in society, particularly in the labor force. The results of a comparative analysis suggest how such national contexts are related to gender inequality in math and science educational experiences. Specifically, the analyses reveal that the gender gap in math and science is stronger in Australia, in terms of gender-related patterns of achievement at the end of high school, as well as differences in attitudes and perceptions in middle school and high school. Additionally, it appears that gender-differentiated familial support may be a distinguishing factor in relation to girls' lower levels of achievement in Australia. The analyses confirm that the math and science performance of American girls is related to factors discussed in the extant literature, such as self-perception of ability. Yet lower maternal expectations do not appear to be a cause of their relatively lower levels of performance compared to their male peers. Overall, the patterns of gender inequality suggest that a national context of higher gender segregation in areas such as the labor force may help to explain the relatively lower achievement and less favorable attitudes and perceptions towards math and science observed in Australia, in comparison to the United States.
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