Skip Navigation
Skip Navigation

Advanced Mathematics at the End of High School: Gender

Excel File Excel Download

Figure 15. Average advanced mathematics scores of TIMSS Advanced students and differences in average advanced mathematics scores, by sex and education system: 2015
Education system Advanced mathematics coverage index1 Males' average score s.e. Females' average score s.e. Male-female difference in average scores2 s.e.

higher icon Average score is higher than U.S. average score at the .05 level of statistical significance.

lower icon Average score is lower than U.S. average score at the .05 level of statistical significance.

*p < .05. Difference in average scores is significant at the .05 level of statistical significance.

1 The advanced mathematics coverage index is the percentage of the corresponding age cohort covered by students in their final year of secondary school who have taken or are taking advanced mathematics courses. The corresponding age cohort is determined for education systems individually. In the United States, the corresponding age cohort is considered 18-year-olds. For additional details, see the Technical Notes available at http://nces.ed.gov/timss/timss15technotes.asp.

2 The difference in average score is calculated by subtracting the females' estimate from the males' estimate using unrounded numbers.

3 Did not satisfy guidelines for sample participation rates.

4 Intensive courses are advanced mathematics courses that involve 6 or more hours per week. Results for students in these courses are reported separately from the results for other students from the Russian Federation taking courses that involve 4.5 hours per week.

5 Met guidelines for sample participation rates only after replacement schools were included.

NOTE: Education systems are ordered by the male-female difference in average score. Standard error is abbreviated as s.e.

SOURCE: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Advanced, 2015.

United States3 11.4 500 6.4 470 5.3 30 * 5.8
Slovenia 34.4 476 lower 4.9 449 lower 3.5 27 * 4.7
France 21.5 475 lower 3.4 449 lower 3.1 26 * 2.8
Russian Federation (intensive courses)4 1.9 549 higher 7.5 530 higher 9.0 20 * 5.2
Sweden 14.1 436 lower 4.6 424 lower 5.1 13 * 5.3
Norway 10.6 463 lower 5.2 453 lower 5.1 10 * 4.8
Russian Federation 10.1 489 6.2 480 6.0 9 * 4.3
Portugal5 28.5 483 lower 3.1 481 3.0 2 3.6
Lebanon3 3.9 531 higher 3.9 533 higher 4.8 -2 6.1
Italy 24.5 419 lower 6.6 427 lower 6.1 -8 7.5