International studies indicate that boys and girls possess similar numerical abilities before starting school. However, a gap in math skills emerges and widens, influenced by cultural factors and testing conditions, according to an OECD report.
A study published in Nature, led by neuroscientist Pauline Martinot, highlights that France exhibits the most significant gender disparity in math and science within the EU at the end of primary school. This gap tends to increase throughout higher education.
The research, based on data from EvalAide, assessed nearly three million children in elementary school. It revealed that a noticeable, statistically significant gap favoring boys appears just four months into elementary school. This suggests that the issue is not innate but develops early in the educational process.
The study found that while boys and girls perform similarly in math tests at the start of elementary school, boys begin to outperform girls after only a few months. After a year, boys are more than twice as likely to be among the top 5% of math students.
The study, supervised by neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene and education professor Pascal Bressoux, acknowledges that the data cannot pinpoint the root cause of the gender gap. However, it suggests that factors like math anxiety, especially in a competitive test environment, may contribute to the disparity. The study also points out that parents' biases and the formal nature of math instruction in early grades could play a role.
The study suggests that teacher training, focusing on equal attention to both genders and enhancing teachers' confidence and interest in math, could help mitigate the issue. The fact that over 80% of elementary school teachers are women, often with literary backgrounds, is also mentioned as a potential factor.