Trends in Achievement for Girls and Boys (Grade 8)

Trend Plots of Average Science Achievement for Girls and Boys

For the TIMSS 2023 countries with comparable data from previous TIMSS assessments, Exhibit 2.2.11 contains graphs of average science achievement across assessment cycles for girls and boys. In each country graph, the y-axis ranges 120 points with a scale interval of 10 points, but a different part of the scale is shown according to each country’s average achievement. Generally, the difference in average science achievement between girls and boys has remained relatively stable across TIMSS assessments. Of the 34 countries with comparable data in 2019 and 2023, 10 had no difference between girls and boys in both assessment cycles. However, four countries with no difference between girls and boys in TIMSS 2019 had a gap favoring boys in TIMSS 2023. In six countries the achievement gap was closed such that the difference between girls and boys was flagged as statistically significant in 2019, but not in 2023.