Girls' and Boys' Mathematics Achievement, Affect, and Experiences: Findings from ECLS-K

Amid debates about the continued salience of gender in mathematics; this report summarizes an IES-funded investigation of gender-related patterns in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K). Girls' and boys' mathematics achievement, confidence, and interest were examined, along with experiences at home and school. Mathematics performance gaps favoring boys appeared soon after children began kindergarten and then widened during elementary grades. Gender differences in mathematical confidence were larger than differences in both achievement and interest. Although boys' and girls' parent-reported home experiences differed in stereotypical ways, particularly among high-SES students, such differences appeared unrelated to gender gaps in mathematics outcomes. Teacher-reported instructional practices also shed little light on gender gaps in mathematics performance; however, teachers' perceptions of girls and boys could play a role.