When do girls start to fall behind in math?

A large-scale study of French school-age children found that the "math gender gap" appeared in the first year of school. Boys and girls had similar math scores when they first entered school, but after four months, boys began to pull ahead of girls; after 12 months, the math scores of boys and girls became even bigger. The relevant paper was published in Nature on June 11.

From the beginning of school, the gap between girls and boys in terms of numbers and logic gradually emerges. Photo credit: Lea Suzuki/ Getty

"This research shows that the gender gap in children's maths achievement is not innate or inevitable. If we don't want girls to fall behind, we need to focus on their early experiences in school," said Jillian Lauer of the University of Cambridge in the UK.

Around the world, teenage boys outperform girls on math tests, and boys are more likely to work in math-related careers.

To understand the reasons for the above gap, researchers from the University of Paris-Cité, Paris-Saclay University and the French Atomic Energy Commission explored. The study covered four groups, namely all children who were in the first grade in France in 2018, 2019, 2020 or 2021. This is equivalent to nearly 3 million children aged 5 to 7. They confirmed this finding throughout France - the gender gap in mathematics appears in all populations, socioeconomic groups, regions and school types.

Using big data analysis, the researchers found that it was the start of formal education, not age, that caused the gap. French children usually start school in September of the year they turn 6. The line graph of test results for all French children who enrolled in 2018 shows that at the beginning of the first grade, the average levels of boys and girls were similar, with slightly more boys in the highest and lowest percentiles; at the beginning of the second grade, the gender gap widened. The researchers pointed out that this shows that it is the environment in which children are in after they go to school, rather than innate differences in interests or abilities, that causes the gender gap in mathematics. In addition, infants and toddlers, regardless of gender, have very similar mastery of numbers and logic. `

Researchers say one possible reason for the math gender gap is stereotypes conveyed by teachers and parents that boys are better at math than girls, or that boys succeed because of talent and girls because of hard work, which undermines girls' confidence. Labeling certain activities specifically as "math" at the beginning of the school year, such as allocating separate time and special books, may encourage girls to apply this stereotype to themselves. Girls tend to be more anxious about math than boys, which may lower their performance on timed tests.

The study makes a number of recommendations on how to address the above issues, including providing support for children to reduce their anxiety about maths; encouraging girls to interact in class as much as boys; and fostering children's curiosity about maths and problem-solving skills outside the classroom.

Related paper information: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09126-4

(Original title: When do girls start to fall behind in mathematics?)