A Widening Gap? A Gender-Based Analysis of Performance on the Colombian High School Exit Examination

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/economia/a.6144

Article Sidebar

PDF HTML (Español (España)) Lector Inteligente (Español (España)) ePub (Español (España))

Published: Oct 17, 2017
Issue: Vol. 20 No. 1 (2017): enero-junio
Section Articles


Keywords: Gender gap exit examination Juhn-Murphy-Pierce descomposition.

Main Article Content

Authors

Luz Karime Abadía
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Gloria Bernal
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

Abstract

In this article, we provide evidence that girls underperform boys with similar characteristics on the Colombian high school exit examination. Using the quantile regression technique, we find a significant gender gap favoring boys, which widens along the distribution. The Juhn-Murphy-Pierce decomposition shows that personal, family, and school characteristics explain a small part of the gap whereas differences in returns play an important role. In addition, we show that the observed gap differs significantly by administrative regions, suggesting that specific characteristics of each region could be influencing girls’ performance.

Author Biographies

Luz Karime Abadía, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

Associate Professor at the Department of Economics

Gloria Bernal, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

Associate Professor at the Department of Economics
How to Cite
Abadía, L. K., & Bernal, G. (2017). A Widening Gap? A Gender-Based Analysis of Performance on the Colombian High School Exit Examination. Revista Economía Del Rosario, 20(1), 5–31. https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/economia/a.6144
References

Abadía, L. (2017). Gender score gaps of Colombia in PISA test. Vniversitas Económicas, 17(8), 1-24.

Abadía, L., & De la Rica, S. (2011). Changes in the gender wage gap and the role of education and other job characteristics Colombia: 1994- 2010. Vniversitas Económicas, 11(8), x-x.

Angrist, J., Bettinger, E., & Kremer, M. (2004). Long-term consequences of secondary school vouchers: Evidence from administrative records in Colombia. National Bureau of Economic Research, w10713.

Baker, D. P., & Jones, D. P. (1993). Creating gender equality: Cross-national gender stratification and mathematical performance. Sociology of Education, 66(2), 91-103.

Castillo, R. Grazzi, M., & Tacsir, E. (2014). Women in sience and technology. Ciudad: Interamerican Development Bank. Recuperado de https://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/6047/CTI%20TN%20Women%20in%20Science%20and%20Technology.pdf?sequence=1

Coulter, R. P. (1996). Gender equity and schooling: Linking research and policy. Canadian Journal of Education/Revue, 21(4), 433-452.

Delgado, M. (2014). La educación básica y media en Colombia: retos en equidad y calidad. (Fedesarrollo). Recuperado de http://www.fedesarrollo.org.co/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/La-educaci%C3%B3n-b%C3%A1sica-ymedia-en-Colombia-retos-en-equidad-y-calidad-KAS.pdf

Dickerson, A., McIntosh, S., & Valente, C. (2015). Do the maths: an analysis of the gender gap in mathematics in Africa. Economics of Education Review, 46, 1-22.

Ellison, G., & Swanson, A (2010). The gender gap in secondary school mathematics at high achievement levels: evidence from the American mathematics competitions. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 24(2), 109-128.

Fryer Jr, R.G., & Levitt, S. D. (2004). Understanding the black-white test score gap in the first two years of school. Review of Economics and Statistics, 86(2), 447-464.

Gallagher, A. M., & Kaufman, J.C. (2005). Gender differences in mathematics: an integrative psychological approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Gallagher, A., Levin, J., & Cahalan, C. (2002). Cognitive patterns of gender differences on mathematics admissions tests. ETS Research Report Series, 2, 1-30.

Gonzales, A., & De la Rica, S. (2012). Gender gaps in pisa test scores: the impact of social norms and the mother’s transmission of role attitudes. IZA DP No. 6338. Recuperado de http://ftp.iza.org/dp6338.pdf

Guimarães, J. C., & Sampaio, B. (2008). Mind the gap: evidences from gender differences in scores in Brazil. Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro: anpec - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pósgraduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].

Guiso, L., Monte, F., Sapienza, P., & Zingales, L. (2008). Culture, gender, and math. Science, 320(5880), 1164-1165.

Halpern, D. F. (2004). A cognitive-process taxonomy for sex differences in cognitive abilities. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(4), 135-139.

Hanushek, E. A. (1979). Conceptual and empirical issues in the estimation of educational production functions. Journal of Human Resources, 14(3), 351-388.

Hedges, L. V., & Nowell, A. (1995). Sex differences in mental test scores, variability, and numbers of high-scoring individuals. Science, 269(5220), 41-45.

Hoyos, A., Ñopo, H., & Pena, X. (1994). The persistent gender earnings gap in Colombia. 1994-2006 (May 2010). IDB Working Paper No. 54.

Hyde, J. S., & Mertz, J. E. (2009). Gender, culture, and mathematics performance. Ciudad: University of Wisconsin, Department of Psychology.

Icfes (2013). Análisis de las diferencias de género en el desempeño de estudiantes colombianos en matemáticas y lenguaje. Bogotá: Icfes SABER INVESTIGAR.

Juhn, C., Murphy, K. M., & Pierce, B. (1993). Wage inequality and the rise in returns to skills. The Journal of Political Economy, 101(3), 410-442.

Koenker, R., & Bassett Jr, G. (1978). Regression quantiles. Econometrica: Journal of the Econometric Society, 6(1), 33-50.

Kucian, K., Loenneker, T., Dietrich, T., Martin, E., & Von Aster, M. (2005). Gender differences in brain activation patterns during mental rotation and number related cognitive tasks. Psychology Science, 47(1), 112-131.

Lawton, C. A., & Hatcher, D. W. (2005). Gender differences in integration of images in visuospatial memory. Sex Roles, 53(9), 717-725.

Marks, G.N. (2008). Accounting for the gender gaps in student performance in reading and mathematics: evidence from 31 countries. Oxford Review of Education, 34(1), 89-109.

Morales, R., & Sifontes, D. (2014). Desigualdad de género en ciencia y tecnología: Un estudio para América Latina. Observatorio Laboral Revista Venezolana, 7(13), 95-110.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (2011). Report on the gender initiative: Gender equality in education, employment and entrepreneurism. Paris: oecd publishing. Recuperado de http://www.oecd.org/social/48111145.pdf

Penner, A. M., & Paret, M. (2008). Gender differences in mathematics achievement: Exploring the early grades and the extremes. Social Science Research, 37(1), 239-253. pnud (2005). Hacia una Colombia equitativa e incluyente. Informe de Colombia. Objetivos de desarrollo del milenio. Bogotá: DNP.

Pollitzer, E., & Schraudner, M. (2015). Integrating gender dynamics into innovation ecosystems. Sociology and Anthropology, 3(11), 617-626.

Ramsey, C. B. (1998). Subtracting sexism from the classroom: Law and policy in the debate over all-female math and science classes in public schools. Texas Journal of Women & the Law, 8(1), 1.

Riegle-Crumb, C. (2005). The cross-national context of the gender gap in math and science. In L. V. Hedges & B. Schneider (Eds.) The social organization of schooling (pp. 227-243). New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

Schrøter, J. J., & Nielsen, H. S. (2013). Math and gender: Is math a route to a high-powered career? IZA DP No. 7164. Recuperado de http://ftp.iza.org/dp7164.pdf

Temple, C. M., & Cornish, K. M. (1993). Recognition memory for words and faces in schoolchildren: A female advantage for words. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 11(4), 421-426.

Tinklin, T. (2003). Gender Differences and High Attainment. British Educational Research Journal, 29(3), 307-325. Recuperado de http://www.jstor.org/stable/1502255

Xie, Y., & Shauman, K.A. (2003). Women in science: Career processes and outcomes. Boston, MA: Harvard University Press.

Zimmerman, D. J. (2003). Peer effects in academic outcomes: Evidence from a natural experiment. Review of Economics and Statistics, 85(1), 9-23.

Query Statistics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Publcation metrics

2986 1382




 

Los autores conservan los derechos de autor y garantizan a la revista el derecho de ser la primera publicación del trabajo al igual que licenciado bajo una Creative Commons Attribution License que permite a otros compartir el trabajo con un reconocimiento de la autoría del trabajo y la publicación inicial en esta revista.