Understanding factors contributing to gender differences in Australian adolescents’ achievement

This aim of this study was to investigate potential gender differences in students’ performance on the 2018 PISA Mathematics, Reading, and Science assessments, and to identify factors related to the Thrive Framework developed by SACE that may contribute to gender equity in achievement. This report briefly summarises the current state of research regarding gender differences in achievement and outlines current gendered trends in achievement specific to the Australian context. The major focus of this study is a series of multilevel structural equation models and single-level logistic regression models. Multilevel structural equation models were used to examine the extent to which different social and school culture, motivational, and study and curriculum (including assessment) factors predicted male and female student Mathematics, Reading, and Science achievement, and if the strength of these associations differed by gender. Single-level logistic regression models were used to examine which social and school culture, motivational, and study and curriculum factors were associated with top quartile (25%) performance in Mathematics, Reading, and Science for male and female students. The report concludes with recommendations for student intervention, teacher and school practice, curriculum and assessment design, and policy development.