Understanding students’ academic preparation in math and science is critical to ensuring success in STEM subjects. Scores from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) allow analysis of the performance of boys and girls across various grades in the Malaysian 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 fluctuations in Malaysia in the last decade. A couple of the greatest changes are found in 90th percentile scores, with girls experiencing a drop of 24 points from 2012 (531) to 2022 (507) and boys experiencing a drop of 16 points from 2012 (528) to 2022 (512). Among the mean and 10th percentile scores in 2022, girls outperformed boys.
The 90th percentile, mean, and 10th percentile scores in science have experienced slight fluctuations in Malaysia in the last decade. In the 90th percentile in 2022, boys (519) scored 1 point higher than girls (518). Among the mean and 10th percentile scores in 2022, girls outperformed boys by 13 and 19 points respectively.
The gender differences (calculated as boys-girls) in 90th percentile scores in 2012 was 3 points in math and 4 points in science, in favor of girls. However, the gender differences in 90th percentile scores was 5 points in math and 1 point in science in favor of boys by 2022.
*Gender differences calculated as boys-girls
In Malaysia, more boys than girls performed above a level 5 proficiency level (considered top performers) in math in the last decade. In 2022, 0.7% of girls were considered top performers compared to twice as many boys (1.5%) in Malaysia.
2022
In Malaysia in 2022, girls (414) scored 11 points higher in mean scores than boys (403) in math. In science, girls (423) scored 13 points higher than boys (410).
In 2022, more boys (62.5%) than girls (55.5%) performed below a level 2 proficiency level (considered low performers) in math. More boys (1.5%) than girls (0.7%) scored at or above a level 5 proficiency level (considered top performers) in math. In science, more boys (52.5%) than girls (43.3%) were considered low performers. However, more boys (0.7%) than girls (0.3%) 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 equal to or higher 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 (0 points) of ESCS when compared to the bottom quarter (6 points) of ESCS. The gender difference in science is 11 points in favor of girls in the bottom quarter of ESCS and 2 points in the top quarter.
In 2022, a higher percentage of boys (80.1) were categorized as low performers from the bottom quarter of ESCS when compared to girls (77.3) in math. However, more boys (4.8%) were categorized as top performers in math from the top quarter of ESCS when compared to the girls (2.8%) in the same group. In science, girls and boys who belonged to the bottom quarter of ESCS and were considered low performers comprised 62.0-68.5 percent of students. The gender difference among top performers and students who belonged to the top quarter of ESCS was 1.0 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
