Gender Differences and Types of Test-Taking Behaviors in PIRLS 2021

Girls consistently demonstrate higher average reading achievement across countries and assessments by a large margin, yet existing theories inadequately explain this gap. This study uses PIRLS 2021 process data from Finland, Germany, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates to examine test-taking behavior as a window into gender gaps in reading achievement. Using latent class analysis, three types of test-taking behaviors emerged: "Rapid," "Challenged," and "Engaged." The "Rapid" class in all four countries had more boys, while the "Engaged" class contained more girls. Using BCH and three-step methods to further disaggregate the gender gap reveals that girls in the "Rapid" class outperformed boys across countries, while the average gender achievement gap almost disappeared in the "Engaged" class, except in Singapore. The gender gap in reading achievement may diminish by a mild to moderate extent if more boys were engaged. Findings highlight the importance of addressing disengagement issues in low-stakes assessments.