Joscha Legewie|Thomas A. DiPrete
School Context and the Gender Gap in Educational Achievement
Columbia University|Columbia University
today boys generally underperform relative girls schools throughout industrialized world building theories gender identity reports prior ethnographic classroom observations argue school environment channels conceptions masculinity peer culture fostering inhibiting boys development antischool attitudes behavior girls peer groups contrast vary less strongly social environment extent school engagement stigmatized unfeminine consequence boys sensitive girls school resources create learningoriented environment evaluate argument use quasiexperimental research design estimate gender difference causal effect peer socioeconomic status ses important school resource test scores design based assumption assignment 5thgrade classrooms within berlins schools good random evaluate selection process examination berlins school regulations simulation analysis qualitative interviews school principals estimates effect ses composition male female performance strongly support central hypothesis analyses support proposed mechanism likely explanation gender differences causal effect