IS THERE A GENDER GAP IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE AT THE FOURTH GRADE?
Policy makers in the U.S. and other countries have made great efforts in recent years to make mathematics and science more accessible to girls and to encourage gender equity in these subjects. Overall, at the fourth grade, more TIMSS countries have gender equity in mathematics than in science. The U.S. is one of 22 TIMSS nations in which there is no significant gender gap in fourth-grade mathematics achievement. In the science overall score, the U.S. is one of ten countries where a gender gap exists. Examining boys’ and girls’ scores in the various science content areas, U.S. boys significantly outperform U.S. girls in the content areas of earth science and physical science. There is no significant difference between U.S. boys’ and girls’ scores in life science and in environmental issues and the nature of science. HAS U.S. FOURTH-GRADE INTERNATIONAL STANDING IMPROVED OVER TIME? International comparisons over time are difficult. The first international studies of mathematics and scienc
