Gender Similarities, Not Differences, Characterize Students’ Science Achievement and Motivation: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis Across 112 Countries

Gender differences in science achievement and motivation have been discussed in relation to disparities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Yet, empirical knowledge about their generalizability and moderators remains limited. We synthesized representative student data from international large-scale assessments conducted between 1994 and 2023 across 112 countries in primary and secondary education. Gender differences in science achievement (average standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.01; 95% prediction interval [PI] [–0.18, 0.20]) and motivation (SMD = 0.01; 95% PI [–0.20, 0.17]) were negligible to small, indicating gender similarities. Moderator analyses revealed little variation across assessment formats and motivational components (self-beliefs and task values). In primary education, female students showed a small motivational advantage that diminished in later grades, whereas gender similarities in achievement persisted throughout the school years. Gender differences in achievement and motivation varied modestly across science domains, with male students showing an advantage in physics and female students in biology/life sciences. Temporal analyses indicated that small differences in achievement and motivation favoring male students declined over decades but increased following the COVID-19 pandemic. National indicators moderated gender differences: Larger proportions of female researchers were associated with advantages for female students in science achievement and motivation; greater national prosperity amplified this advantage in achievement but reduced it in motivation. Larger proportions of female STEM graduates were associated with larger motivational differences favoring female students. Overall, these findings underscore the need for theoretical accounts that integrate gender similarities in science achievement and motivation among school-aged students with disparities in subsequent STEM pathways.