Are there differences between girls’ and boys’ enjoyment of learning mathematics and does this enjoyment change as they progress in their academic career? Using insights from TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal Study this Teacher Snippet discusses attitudes toward learning mathematics between gender.
WHO LIKES LEARNING MATHEMATICS? Findings from TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal: Girls’ and Boys’ Enjoyment in the Fourth and Fifth Grades Do both boys and girls enjoy learning mathematics as they progress through school? Research suggests there is an association between students’ enjoyment of learning mathematics and their achievement, although the direction of influence is less clear. 1,2 TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) 2023, found that, on average, boys have higher achievement in mathematics than girls in the majority of participating education systems. Other research has also presented similar findings. 3,4,5 Given this general link between liking mathematics and achievement, possible gender differences in the enjoyment of mathematics deserve attention. This Teacher Snippet will dive further into this topic using IEA’s TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal Study.
In TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal, the same students participated in the study in the fourth grade, and one year later in the fifth grade, providing unique opportunities to look into changes in mathematics achievement and attitudes over time. What TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal found TIMSS 2023 asked students if they agree a lot , agree a little , disagree a little , or disagree a lot with seven statements about learning mathematics. Their responses were combined to create scores to classify students into three categories: those who very much like , somewhat like , and do not like learning mathematics.
Asking students to respond to multiple statements leads to a more comprehensive and reliable understanding of their attitudes toward mathematics compared to asking them to respond to a single question. If students provide similar responses to a set of items, there can be more confidence that the score resulting from all the responses together accurately represents their feelings about learning mathematics.
Figure 1: Students Like Learning Mathematics scale
Agree a lot
Agree a little
Disagree a little
Disagree a lot
How much do you agree with these statements about learning mathematics?
1) I enjoy learning mathematics 2) I learn many interesting things in mathematics 3) I like mathematics 4) I like any schoolwork that involves numbers 5) I like to solve mathematics problems 6) I look forward to mathematics lessons 7) Mathematics is one of my favorite subjects
Students in education systems participating in the TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal Study had the chance to respond to these questions twice—once in fourth grade, and once in fifth grade. This provides an opportunity to examine shifts in the percentages of girls and boys who report varying degrees of liking for mathematics as they progress through primary school.
Graph 1: Percent of Girls and Boys who Very Much Like Learning Mathematics in Fourth Grade
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Italy
Jordan
Korea, Rep. of
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Graph 2: Percent of Girls and Boys who Very Much Like Learning Mathematics in Fifth Grade
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In eight out of the nine TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal education systems, a higher percentage of boys than girls report that they very much like learning mathematics in the fourth grade (see Graph 1). Differences range from a 3% difference in Jordan—where more girls reported they very much like learning mathematics—to a 12% difference in Italy, where more boys reported this. This pattern of higher percentages of boys than girls reporting the highest degree of liking learning mathematics may reflect differences in how boys and girls perceive or relate to mathematics. This may be associated with factors such as classroom experiences, confidence, and social or cultural influences.
Overall, fewer students reported that they very much like learning mathematics from grade to grade. This pattern holds for both boys and girls. This may be related to increasingly complex content or to the observation that students, as they mature, have more nuanced preferences about the subjects they enjoy. These results complement eighth-grade results from TIMSS 2023, which found that few students overall reported that they very much like learning mathematics. Neither of these findings alone proves a direct link between advancing in schooling and enjoyment of mathematics; however, the consistency with which older students appear to like mathematics less across different data sources suggests a potential relationship.
The fifth-grade results (see Graph 2) show a similar pattern—a higher percentage of boys than girls reported liking learning mathematics to the highest degree. Differences ranged from a 2% difference in Montenegro to a 12% difference in Italy favoring boys. In Jordan, approximately the same percentage of girls and boys reported that they very much like learning mathematics. The consistency of this general pattern across the two grades (see Graphs 1 and 2) suggests that the differences in how girls and boys perceive or relate to mathematics may emerge early and persist over time. It is also important to note that students who reported that they very much like learning mathematics in the fourth grade did not necessarily report the same in the fifth grade.
QUESTIONS TO SHARE WITH YOUR STUDENTS TO INVESTIGATE THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD LEARNING MATHEMATICS
The results above show the differences in percentages of girls and boys who reported that they very much like learning mathematics in the fourth and fifth grades. In both grades, a consistent pattern is observed, with more boys than girls reporting positive attitudes toward mathematics in eight of the nine TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal education systems. The questions from the Students Like Learning Mathematics scale can be useful for sparking classroom discussion. It may be interesting to observe if girls and boys in your classes react differently to the questions below. Do you observe the pattern described in the Snippet among your own students? Recognizing these patterns can help foster a supportive and engaging classroom for all students that supports developing positive attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics learning. You might consider asking your students: • What kinds of activities do you enjoy the most in mathematics lessons? • Are there parts of mathematics that you find frustrating? • What helps motivate you when mathematics is challenging? • What do you do first when you encounter a difficult mathematics problem?
MORE INFORMATION
TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal extends TIMSS 2023 by following students into their fifth and ninth years of schooling after participation in the fourth- and eighth-grade assessments. The study collects information not only on mathematics and science achievement, but also on contextual data from students, parents, teachers, and principals. TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal is the first longitudinal data study within TIMSS, a study that has been conducted every four years since 1995.
Use the QR Code to access more information about TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal, including international results, the mathematics framework, or the context questionnaires.
Deepthi Kodamala Audrey Gallo (TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development)
IEAResearchInEducation
Content by:
IEA
@ieaeducation.bsky.social
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EXPLORE THE RESEARCH
1. 2.
von Davier, M., et al. (2021) Ayebo, A. & Dingel, M. (2021)
3. 4.
von Davier, M., et al. (2024) Oregui-González, E., et al. (2024)
5.
Fonseca, J., et al. (2023)
Lynch School of Education and Human Development
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