Gender differences in academic performance in post secondary physical science

Abstract

Many studies over the last two decades have found evidence of an achievement gap between males and females in physical science at the elementary and secondary levels of schooling. The literature on the post-secondary level is sparse, but some evidence has been found that suggests this gap also exists at that level. Many different factors have been found to contribute to the lagging achievement of females in this area, with many of them being interconnected with one another. While completely eliminating the achievement gap may be extremely difficult, educational methods and practices have been identified which can help address females' educational needs in physical science so that the achievement gap can be narrowed.