Empirical Analysis of the Gender Gap in Mathematics Proficiency and College Enrollment in Science and Engineering

This paper empirically analyzes the differences in educational outcomes between boys and girls from elementary school to university entrance using individual data from the Internet Survey on Intergenerational Education and Training, and Cognitive and Non-cognitive Abilities. Specifically, it describes whether the difference in proficiency in mathematics between boys and girls increases with age, whether students choose to sit different science and mathematics subjects for high school and university entrance exams, and whether there is a difference in the choice of science-related faculties when entering university. The analysis showed that the difference in math ability between boys and girls increased as they progressed through elementary school, junior high school and high school, and that the difference was particularly pronounced among the top-performing students. The analysis also showed that there were gender differences in the elective subjects chosen in high school, the subjects chosen for university entrance exams, and the choice of university, with boys being more likely to choose science-related subjects and go on to study science at university. We found that such gender differences could be alleviated by increasing awareness of gender equality in the region of origin and expanding the number of capacities at science and technology universities Removing factors that restrict access to higher education, such as strengthening awareness of gender equality in the region and expanding the number of students accepted at science and technology universities, could be effective in reducing gender disparities.