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Physics at the End of High School: Gender

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Figure 18. Average physics scores of TIMSS Advanced students and differences in average physics scores, by sex and education system: 2015
Education system Physics 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 physics 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 physics 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.

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 4.8 455 9.3 409 11.9 46 * 7.1
France 21.5 390 lower 4.6 354 lower 4.2 35 * 3.8
Italy 18.2 389 lower 8.4 356 lower 7.3 32 * 7.8
Slovenia 7.6 540 higher 3.7 510 higher 6.5 29 * 8.6
Norway 6.5 515 higher 4.8 489 higher 6.0 26 * 5.3
Russian Federation 4.9 514 higher 7.3 498 higher 7.9 16 * 5.8
Portugal 5.1 470 5.1 456 higher 6.2 14 * 6.8
Sweden 14.3 459 6.6 448 higher 6.1 11 * 4.9
Lebanon3 3.9 406 lower 6.4 417 5.2 -11 8.2