Girls often outperform boys in school, yet remain significantly underrepresented in technical education and careers. A new doctoral dissertation from Stockholm University shows that gendered patterns in education begin forming long before university – through early-emerging gender differences in self-confidence, perceived abilities, and future ambitions, beyond the effects of academic performance.

"There’s a strong link between how young people perceive their abilities and the kinds of education they choose. And here we see clear gender differences emerging early. On the other hand, the gender composition of classmates matters less than expected for Swedish students’ school performance” says Tünde Lénárd, PhD candidate in sociology at the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI), Stockholm University.
In four empirical studies, she investigates different mechanisms behind gender differences in education, focusing on the teenage years. Using rich individual-level data from Sweden and Hungary, she analyzes school performance, competitiveness, educational program choices and educational attainment.
Classroom gender composition

According to a long-held hypothesis in the literature, having more female classmates increases the school performance of girls and boys. However, according to one study in the dissertation, this is not the case in Sweden. The gender composition of classrooms does not seem to have a meaningful effect on students’ school performance in the more gender-equal Nordic context. 

Girls have lower confidence – and prefer to compete less
One study shows that girls tend to have lower confidence in their performance than boys. This affects their willingness to compete, which in turn may influence future educational and career decisions. However, even among students with realistic self-assessments, those who judge their abilities accurately, girls are far less likely to choose competitive settings than boys.

“It’s not just about underestimating themselves,” says Lénárd. “Even when they have an accurate view of their ability, girls are still less inclined to enter competitive situations.”

 Motivation matters more than grades
Another study reveals that gendered choices, particularly the decision to pursue technical programs in upper secondary school, are largely driven by gender differences in self-assessment of abilities and interests. Girls are generally more interested and have higher self-assessment in the verbal domain than boys, while boys lean more toward mathematics, and this influences program choices.

“It’s important to understand that it’s not only about grades. Interests and perceived ability play a major role. These are shaped by gendered patterns, and orient girls and boys with similar grades towards different educational pathways” she says.

 High ambition especially helps girls with immigrant backgrounds
The dissertation also shows that high educational ambitions in adolescence clearly increase the chances of obtaining a higher education later on – especially for girls with immigrant backgrounds.

“This is an important finding,” says Lénárd. “It shows that high ambition is not a trap for immigrant background students, as it has been suggested before given their higher educational aspirations and lower upper secondary completion rates than native students. Ambitions are rather a resource that can counter lower educational performance.”

Source: https://www.su.se/swedish-institute-for-social-research/news/why-do-boys-and-girls-choose-different-educational-paths-1.825675?cache=