Tackling the gender gap in mathematics with active learning methodologies

Maria Laura Di Tommaso, Dalit Contini, Dalila De Rosa, Francesca Ferrara, Daniela Piazzalunga and Ornella Robutti

Economics of Education Review, 2024, vol. 100, issue C

Abstract: Gender gaps in mathematics are at the root of gender differences in human capital accumulation, but the role of teaching practices on such gaps has been underinvestigated. We implement a teaching methodology to improve children's mathematical skills and evaluate the causal effect of the intervention on the gender gap in mathematics in Italy with a randomised controlled trial. The methodology, grounded in active and cooperative learning, focuses on peer interaction, sharing of ideas, learning from mistakes, and problem-solving. The treatment significantly improves girls’ math performance (0.14 standard deviations), with no impact on boys, and reduces the math gender gap by about 40 %. The effect is stronger for girls with high pre-test scores.

Keywords: Gender gap; Mathematics; Child development; Teaching methodologies; Randomised controlled trial (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 I21 I24 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Tackling the gender gap in mathematics with active learning methodologies (2021)
Working Paper: Tackling the gender gap in mathematics with active learning methodologies (2021)
Working Paper: Tackling the Gender Gap in Mathematics with Active Learning Methodologies (2021)
Working Paper: Tackling the gender gap in mathematics with active learning methodologies (2021)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:100:y:2024:i:c:s0272775724000323

DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2024.102538

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