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 the Singaporean 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.
2012-2022
TIMSS
According to TIMSS, the mean scores in math and science have increased in Singapore in the last two decades for fourth grade girls and boys. Girls experienced an increase of 10 points from 2003 (599) to 2023 (609) in math and an increase of 38 points from 2003 (565) to 2023 (603) in science. Boys experienced a larger increase of 31 points in math and an increase of 47 points in science from 2003 to 2023. The gender gap was in favor of girls in math between 2003 (9 point difference) and 2015 (4 points), with boys scoring 12 points ahead of girls by 2023. In science, the gender gap has fluctuated since 2003 and 2007 (0 point difference). The gender gap opened up, in favor of boys in 2011 (4 point difference). The gender gap reversed in 2015 (1 point in favor of girls). Despite this, boys outperformed girls in 2019 and 2023 by 7-9 points.
According to TIMSS, scores in math have decreased in Singapore in the last two decades for 8th grade girls. Girls experienced an decrease of 9 points from 2003 (611) to 2023 (602) in math. Boys experienced an increase of 7 points from 2003 (601) to 2023 (608). The gender gap, in favor of girls, in math has fluctuated since 2003 (10 point difference), with boys scoring 6 points ahead of girls by 2023. Scores in science increased 27 points for girls and 30 points for boys from 2003 to 2023. The gender gap in science has fluctuated throughout the last 20 years, with a 8 point difference, in favor of girls, found in 2007. The gender gap reversed since 2007, with boys scoring 6 points ahead of girls in science by 2023.
PISA
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.
2023
TIMSS
In 2023, girls scored lower math and science scores than boys in Singapore. The gender gap, in favor of boys, in math was 12 points in 4th grade and became smaller in 8th grade (6 points). 4th grade boys scored 9 points higher than girls in science. The gender gap in science was 6 points, in favor of boys, in 8th grade.
2022
PISA
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
- 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