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
78%
80
71%
71%
69%
66%
66%
70
63%
60%
56%
60
51%
50
45%
40
35%
33%
28%
26%
26%
30
21%
17%
20
10
0
Georgia
Italy
Jordan
Korea, Rep. of
Kosovo
Montenegro North
Slovenia
Sweden
Macedonia, Rep. of
Girls
Boys
Graph 2: Percent of Girls and Boys who Very Much Like Learning Mathematics in Fifth Grade
80
72%
70
61%
59%
58% 58%
56%
60
54%
49%
50
36%
40
35% 37%
26%
30
24%
24%
21%
18%
16%
20
13%
10
0
Georgia
Italy
Jordan
Korea, Rep. of
Kosovo
Montenegro North
Slovenia
Sweden
Macedonia, Rep. of
Girls
Boys
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.
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