Gender Disparity in Students’ Performance of Science and Mathematics: Evidence from Nationwide Study in Pakistan

Abstract

Gender disparity in science and mathematics performance is under constant exploration. In a complex education system, like Pakistan, studying the difference in isolation may not generate holistic understanding. Therefore, this paper investigates changes in trends of gender differences within public and private schools. Data were gathered from nationwide representative students (n=15,391) of elementary grades using SATs/MATS. The results of independent t-test and two-way-ANOVA revealed that girls significantly outperformed boys in Science; girls came at par in Mathematics. Gender and school system demonstrated significant interaction effect only in mathematics unveiling that girls can perform better/equal to boys in same school system.