Do girls and boys perceive themselves as equally engaged in school? The results of an international study from 12 countries

• Published in: Journal of school psychology 2012-02, Vol.50 (1), p.77-94
• Main Authors: Lam, Shui-fong, Jimerson, Shane, Kikas, Eve, Cefai, Carmel, Veiga, Feliciano H., Nelson, Brett, Hatzichristou, Chryse, Polychroni, Fotini, Basnett, Julie, Duck, Robert, Farrell, Peter, Liu, Yi, Negovan, Valeria, Shin, Hyeonsook, Stanculescu, Elena, Wong, Bernard P.H., Yang, Hongfei, Zollneritsch, Josef
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Academic performance; Achievement; Adolescent; Austria; Canada; Child; China; Correlation; Cross Cultural Studies; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Cyprus; Educational Status; Estonia; Europe; Female; Foreign Countries; Gender; Gender Differences; Grade 9; Greece; Humans; Learner Engagement; Male; Malta; Models, Psychological; Parent Child Relationship; Parent support; Peer Group; Peer Relationship; Peer support; Perception; Portugal; Program Effectiveness; Romania; Schools; Secondary School Students; Secondary School Teachers; Sex Factors; Social Environment; South Korea; Structural Equation Models; Student Attitudes; Student engagement; Students - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Student Relationship; Teacher support; Teachers; United Kingdom; United States
• ISSN: 0022-4405; 1873-3506
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsp.2011.07.004

This study examined gender differences in student engagement and academic performance in school. Participants included 3420 students (7th, 8th, and 9th graders) from Austria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The results indicated that, compared to boys, girls reported higher levels of engagement in school and were rated higher by their teachers in academic performance. Student engagement accounted for gender differences in academic performance, but gender did not moderate the associations among student engagement, academic performance, or contextual supports. Analysis of multiple-group structural equation modeling revealed that perceptions of teacher support and parent support, but not peer support, were related indirectly to academic performance through student engagement. This partial mediation model was invariant across gender. The findings from this study enhance the understanding about the contextual and personal factors associated with girls' and boys' academic performance around the world.