Understanding students’ academic preparation in math and science is critical to ensuring success in STEM subjects. Scores from two international examinations, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) allow analysis of the performance of boys and girls across various grades in the Singaporean educational system. The PISA is a series of reports comparing 15-year-olds academic performance across subjects and countries.
2012-2022
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD), the 90th percentile, mean, and 10th percentile scores in math have experienced slight fluctuations in Singapore in the last decade. Girls experienced declines of 6 to 11 points from 2012 to 2022 in 90th percentile, mean, and 10th percentile scores. Meanwhile, boys experienced increases of 1 to 9 points from 2012 to 2022 in 90th percentile, mean, and 10th percentile scores. Among the 10th percentile scores in 2022, girls (436) outperformed boys (431).
The 90th percentile, mean, and 10th percentile scores in science have experienced slight fluctuations in Singapore in the last decade. In the 90th percentile in 2022, boys (691) scored 15 points higher than girls (676). Among the 10th percentile scores in 2022, girls (428) outperformed boys (423) by 5 points. The greatest gain from 2012 (404) to 2022 (423) was among boy’s 10th percentile scores which increased by 19 points.
The gender differences (calculated as boys-girls) in 90th percentile scores in math has been between 9 points to 21 points in favor of boys from 2012 to 2022. The gender differences in 90th percentile scores in science has been between 11 points to 19 points in favor of boys from 2012 to 2022.
*Gender differences calculated as boys-girls
In Singapore, more boys than girls performed above a level 5 proficiency level (considered top performers) in math in the last decade. In 2022, 37.1% of girls were considered top performers compared to 43.8% of boys in Singapore.
2022
In Singapore in 2022, boys (581) scored 13 points higher in mean scores than girls (568) in math. In science, girls (558) scored 7 points lower than boys (565).
In 2022, fewer girls (7.6%) than boys (8.5%) performed below a level 2 proficiency level (considered low performers) in math. More boys (43.8%) than girls (37.1%) scored at or above a level 5 proficiency level (considered top performers) in math. In science, fewer girls (7.4%) than boys (8.1%) were considered low performers. However, more boys (26.7%) than girls (22.1%) scored at the top performance level.
*Low Performance in Math (less than 420.07 score points)
*Top Performance in Math (at or above 606.99 score points)
*Low Performance in Science (less than 409.54 score points)
*Top Performance in Science (at or above 633.33 score points)
In 2022, girls scored lower math scores than boys across the PISA index of economic, social and cultural status (ESCS). The gender difference (calculated as boys-girls) in math scores is smaller in the top quarter (9 points) of ESCS when compared to the bottom quarter (19 points) of ESCS. The gender difference in science is 14 points in favor of boys in the bottom quarter of ESCS and 2 points in the top quarter.
In 2022, about one-fifth of girls (20.3%) were categorized as low performers from the bottom quarter of ESCS when compared to boys (17.7%) in math. More boys (63.2%) were categorized as top performers in math from the top quarter of ESCS when compared to the girls (58.6%) in the same group. In science, girls and boys who belonged to the bottom quarter of ESCS and were considered low performers comprised approximately one-fifth of students. The gender difference among top performers and students who belonged to the top quarter of ESCS was 4.2 percent in favor of boys.
*Low Performance in Math (less than 420.07 score points)
*Top Performance in Math (at or above 606.99 score points)
*Low Performance in Science (less than 409.54 score points)
*Top Performance in Science (at or above 633.33 score points)
Resources
- PISA 2022 Results. Retrieved from https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/pisa_19963777
