ERIC Number: EJ1205979
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2331-186X
EISSN: N/A
Mathematics Gender Gaps in Kenya: Are Resource Differentials between Boys and Girls to Blame?
Ng'ang'a, Alice; Mureithi, Leopold P.; Wambugu, Anthony
Cogent Education, v5 n1 Article 1564163 2018
The Blinder-Oaxaca approach has been used to decompose the gender gap in mathematics test scores in private and public primary schools in Kenya. That is, the mathematics production functions are estimated separately for boys and girls, the difference between the boys' and girls' average scores is estimated and then decomposed into three components. That is, gap due to differences in resources between boys and girls, gap resulting from difference in utilization of educational resources and the gap due to unobservable factors. The results show that boys outperform girls in mathematics in both school types. In both private and public primary schools, boys take better advantage of the resources compared to the girls hence girls' scores can be improved by better utilization of the resources. In addition, the boys' scores in public primary schools can be improved by increasing the educational resources for boys. This indicates that resource based policies aimed at improving the girls' mathematics scores may not necessarily close the gender test score gap. Further, such policies may reverse the gender gap and disadvantage the boys. There should be focus on factors that improve utilization of resources by girls in order to improve their scores.
Descriptors: Achievement Gap, Gender Differences, Mathematics Achievement, Foreign Countries, Elementary School Students, Public Schools, Private Schools, Educational Resources, Scores, Mathematics Tests
Cogent OA. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Kenya
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A