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) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) allow analysis of the performance of boys and girls across various grades in Italy’s educational system. The PISA is a series of reports comparing 15-year-olds academic performance across subjects and countries. The TIMSS measures 4th and 8th grades math and science achievement across 64 countries.
2003-2023
TIMSS
According to TIMSS, the mean scores in math have increased in Italy in the last two decades for fourth grade girls and boys. Girls experienced an increase of 3 points from 2003 (498) to 2023 (501) in math and a decrease of 8 points from 2003 (514) to 2023 (506) in science. Boys experienced a larger increase of 17 points in math and a smaller decrease of 2 points in science from 2003 to 2023. The gender gap, in favor of boys, has opened up in math since 2003 (9 point difference), with boys scoring 23 points ahead of girls by 2023. Similarly in science, the gender gap, in favor of boys, has opened up since 2003 (3 point difference), with boys scoring 9 points ahead of girls by 2023.
According to TIMSS, scores in math and science have increased in Italy in the last two decades for 8th grade girls and boys. Girls experienced an increase of 11 points from 2003 (481) to 2023 (492) in math. Boys experienced a higher increase of 23 points from 2003 (486) to 2023 (509). The gender gap, in favor of boys, in math has widened since 2003 (5 point difference), with boys scoring 17 points ahead of girls by 2023. Scores in science increased 10 points for girls and 9 points for boys from 2003 to 2023. The gender gap in science has fluctuated throughout the last 20 years, with a 10 point gender difference (calculated as boys-girls) found in 2003. Boys scored 9 points ahead of girls in science by 2023.
PISA
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD), math scores have decreased 6-19 points in Italy for boys and girls in the last decade. The gender gap has opened up, in favor of boys, from 2012 (33 point difference) to 2022 (36 points) in 90th percentile scores. In mean scores, the gender difference (calculated as boys-girls) was 18 points in 2012 and 21 points in 2022. However, the gender gap has been closing since 2012 (4 points in favor of boys) in 10th percentile scores, with girls (357) scoring 1 point lower than boys (358) by 2022.
The mean, 90th, and 10th percentile scores in science have experienced decreases in Italy in the last decade. Mean and 10th percentile scores have decreased 12-18 points from 2012 to 2022. A couple of the greatest changes are found in mean percentile scores, with girls experiencing a drop of 18 points from 2012 (492) to 2022 (474) and boys experiencing a drop of 14 points from 2012 (495) to 2022 (481). The gender gap has opened up in favor of boys in 90th percentile scores from 2012 (15 point difference) to 2022 (20 points). However, girls outperformed boys in 10th percentile scores in 2012 (10 point difference), 2018 (6 points), and 2022 (13 points).
The gender differences (calculated as boys-girls) in 90th percentile scores in math was between 25 points to 37 points in favor of boys from 2012 to 2022. The gender differences in 90th percentile scores in science has been between 11 points to 24 points in favor of boys from 2012 to 2022. The gender gap, in favor of boys, has opened up in math from 2012 (33 points) to 2022, where boys scored 37 points ahead of girls. In science, the gender gap experienced a smaller change with boys outperforming girls by 15 points in 2012. One decade later, boys scored 20 points ahead of girls.
*Gender differences calculated as boys-girls
In Italy, more boys than girls performed above a level 5 proficiency level (considered top performers) in math in the last decade. In 2022, 4.3% of girls were considered top performers compared to 9.7% of boys in Italy.
2023
TIMSS
In 2023, girls scored lower math and science scores than boys in Italy. The gender gap, in favor of boys, in math was 23 points in 4th grade and became smaller in 8th grade (17 points). 4th grade and 8th grade girls scored 9 points lower than boys in science.
2022
PISA
In Italy in 2022, boys (482) scored 21 points higher in mean scores than girls (461) in math. In science, girls (474) scored 7 points lower than boys (481).
In 2022, a higher share of girls (31.7%) than boys (27.5%) performed below a level 2 proficiency level (considered low performers) in math. More boys (9.7%) than girls (4.3%) scored at or above a level 5 proficiency level (considered top performers) in math. In science, 23.0% of girls and 24.9% of boys were considered low performers. A higher share boys (5.3%) than girls (3.2%) 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 bigger in the top quarter (29 points) of ESCS when compared to the bottom quarter (13 points) of ESCS. Girls (514) scored lower in science than boys (530) in the top quarter (16 point difference). However, girls (435) in the bottom quarter of ESCS outperformed boys (434) by 1 point in science.
In 2022, a slightly higher share of girls (48.9%) were categorized as low performers from the bottom quarter of ESCS when compared to boys (46.4%) in math. A higher share of boys (19.7%) were categorized as top performers in math from the top quarter of ESCS when compared to the girls (10.6%) in the same group. In science, girls and boys who belonged to the bottom quarter of ESCS and were considered low performers comprised approximately forty percent of students. The gender difference among top performers and students who belonged to the top quarter of ESCS was 4.6 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
- IEA’s Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study – TIMSS 2023. Retrieved from https://timss2023.org/results
- PISA 2022 Results. Retrieved from https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/pisa_19963777
