The Contribution of Large‐Scale Assessment Programmes to Research on Gender Differences

Abstract The topic of gender differences in subject achievement continues to hold interest for educators and educational politicians alike, especially as these might bear on efforts to promote greater gender equity in occupational opportunity. Gender‐related differences in language, mathematics, science and other subjects are now well‐documented, with evidence that gender gaps in both subject interest and achievement establish in pre‐adolescence, to be strengthened or weakened through the influence of curricular and other experiences as children move through their secondary schooling. Large‐scale national and international surveys of educational achievement were instrumental in initially revealing the general picture, and have since served to add detail to our knowledge in this field. This paper offers a necessarily summarised overview of the collective contributions of such programmes, highlighting similarities and complementarities in findings against a background of diversity in programme design and execution.