Understanding students’ academic preparation in math and science is critical to ensuring success in STEM subjects. Scores from the international examination the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) allow analysis of the performance of boys and girls across various grades in the United Kingdom (UK) educational system. The PISA is a series of reports comparing 15-year-olds academic performance across subjects and countries. A report published by EngineeringUK reports data on the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) courses (part of compulsory schooling).
2003-2023
TIMSS
According to TIMSS, the mean scores in math and science have increased in England in the last two decades for 4th grade girls and boys. Girls experienced an increase of 13 points from 2003 (530) to 2023 (543) in math and 13 points from 2013 (542) to 2023 (555) in science. Boys experienced a larger increase of 29 points in math and 21 points in science from 2003 to 2023. The gender gap, in favor of boys, has opened up in math since 2007 (1 point difference), with boys scoring 18 points ahead of girls by 2023. In science, girls outperformed boys in 2003 (by 4 points), 2007 (3 points), and 2011 (1 point). In 2015 and 2019, girls and boys scored equally in science. However by 2023, the gender gap in science reappeared with boys scoring 4 points higher than girls.
According to TIMSS, the mean scores in math have increased in England in the last two decades for 8th grade girls and boys. Girls experienced an increase of 13 points from 2003 (499) to 2023 (512) in math and boys experienced a much higher increase of 40 points from 2003 (498) to 2023 (538). Despite girls scoring higher than boys in math in 2003 (1 point difference), 2011 (3 points), and 2015 (3 points), the gender gap has widened since then to 26 points, in favor of boys, in 2023. Scores in science dropped 14 points for girls and 12 points for boys from 2003 to 2023. The gender gap in science has fluctuated throughout the last 20 years, with a 12 point gender difference (calculated as boys-girls) found in 2003. Although girls outperformed boys by 1-3 points in science from 2011-2019, the gender gap reopened in 2023, where boys scored 14 points ahead of girls in science by 2023.
PISA
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD), the mean and 10th percentile scores in math have decreased in the UK in the last decade. The 90th percentile, mean, and 10th percentile scores have decreased 3-13 points from 2012 to 2022 except for boys 90th percentile scores which stayed at 623 points. In 2022, girls (364) outperformed boys (362) in 10th percentile scores. The gender gap has opened up, in favor of boys, from 2012 (14 points) to 2022 (21 points) in 90th percentile scores and 2 points in mean scores. However, the gender gap has closed since 2012 (8 points in favor of boys) in 10th percentile scores with girls (364) scoring 2 points higher than boys (362) by 2022.
The mean, 90th, and 10th percentile scores in science have experienced slight fluctuations in the UK in the last decade. Scores have decreased 6-29 points from 2012 to 2022. A couple of the greatest changes are found in 10th percentile scores, with girls experiencing a drop of 14 points from 2012 (379) to 2022 (365) and boys experiencing a drop of 29 points from 2012 (390) to 2022 (361). The gender gap remained the same, 13 points in favor of boys, in 90th percentile scores in the last 20 years. The gender gap, in favor of boys, is closer when looking at mean scores in 2022 (8 points) than 2012 (13 points). In 2012, girls scored 11 points lower than boys in 10th percentile scores. However, girls have scored equally or ahead of boys since then and, in 2022, girls outperformed boys by 4 points.
The gender differences (calculated as boys-girls) in 90th percentile scores in math has been between 14 points to 21 points in favor of boys from 2012 to 2022. The gender differences in 90th percentile scores in science has been between 6 points to 13 points in favor of boys from 2012 to 2022. The gender gap, in favor of boys, has opened up in math from 2012 (14 points) to 2022, where boys were 21 points ahead of girls.
*Gender differences calculated as boys-girls
In the UK, more boys than girls performed above a level 5 proficiency level (considered top performers) in math in the last decade. In 2022, 9.0% of girls were considered top performers compared to 13.5% of boys in the UK.
EngineeringUK
The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GSCE), a recognized qualification in the United Kingdom among students in secondary education, is part of compulsory schooling in the UK. This qualification is necessary before students can take the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level or A-level courses. These A-level STEM courses are prerequisites for students to pursue STEM fields at the university level.
EngineeringUK found that girls are under-represented in GCSE A-level STEM courses. For example, the percentages of girls’ representation are lowest among entrants in GCSE computing (17.5%) and physics (23.3%) courses in 2024.
2024
EngineeringUK
A report published by EngineeringUK found that girls are under-represented in selected GCSE STEM subjects. For example, the percentages of girls’ representation are lowest among entrants in computing (21.9%) and engineering (16.3%) courses in 2024.
Female entrants in most A-level STEM subjects are lower than males. For example, 3,556 females enrolled in computing courses and 16,814 males enrolled in the same courses. Over twice as many males (761) enrolled in digital technology courses compared to 277 females.
*Females as a percent of total
In selected GCSE A-level STEM courses, a higher percentage of women than men scored passing grades (*A to C), except in maths and mathematics (further), where more men than women achieved these grades.
More women than men achieved A* to A grades in most of the GCSE selected STEM subjects except in maths, mathematics, and physics.
2023
TIMSS
In 2023, girls scored lower math and science scores than boys in England. The gender gap, in favor of boys, in math is 18 points in 4th grade and becomes wider in 8th grade (26 points). 4th grade boys scored 4 points higher than girls in science. The gender gap in science opens up to 14 points by 8th grade.
2022
PISA
In the UK in 2022, boys (496) scored 14 points higher in mean scores than girls (482) in math. In science, girls (496) scored 8 points lower than boys (504).
In 2022, more girls (25.6%) than boys (23.1%) performed below a level 2 proficiency level (considered low performers) in math. More boys (13.5%) than girls (9.0%) scored at or above a level 5 proficiency level (considered top performers) in math. In science, 19.8% of girls and 20.4% of boys were considered low performers. More boys (11.2%) than girls (8.9%) 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 (20 points) of ESCS. The gender difference in science is 16 points in favor of boys in the bottom quarter of ESCS and only 1 point in the top quarter.
In 2022, a higher share of girls (38.7%) were categorized as low performers from the bottom quarter of ESCS when compared to boys (31.0%) in math. A higher share of boys (28.8%) were categorized as top performers in math from the top quarter of ESCS when compared to the girls (22.8%) 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-third of students. The gender difference among top performers and students who belonged to the top quarter of ESCS was 3.0 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
- EngineeringUK. (2024). A Level and Scottish Higher Results. Retrieved from https://www.engineeringuk.com/media/jbxcj35s/a-levels-and-scottish-highers-results-engineeringuk-aug-24.pdf
- EngineeringUK. (2024). GCSE and Scottish National 5 Results. Retrieved from https://www.engineeringuk.com/media/wropnttg/gcse-and-scottish-national-5-results-2024-engineeringuk-aug-24.pdf
- 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