Gender Differences in Science Performance

Abstract

The purposed of this study was to examine the gender differences in students’ science performance in their third, fifth, and eighth grade. This study utilized the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K) K-8 full sample data public-use data file and had the sample size of 7,305 students. An independent sample t-test was conducted to compare science performance in male and female students in each grade level. Results indicated that gender had significant effects on students’ science performance in third, fifth, and eighth grade. Starting in third grade, male students performed better than female students. This trend continued; males still outperformed females in the fifth and eighth grade. The gender difference on science performance already existed in third grade. It is not clear why female students performed less than the other counterparts. Future studies should investigate students’ science learning progress and their science learning experience in the classrooms of the early elementary grades.