Exploring the relation between mathematical values and achievement among girls: A comparative analysis in single-sex vs. coeducational settings using TIMSS 2019 NZ data

TL;DR

This study examines how school type and socio-economic status influence girls' mathematical values and achievement, revealing that single-sex schools boost values mainly in high-SES contexts, but resources and SES also play crucial roles.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of single-sex versus coeducational settings on girls' math values and achievement using TIMSS 2019 data, highlighting SES and resource effects.

Findings

Single-sex education enhances girls' mathematical values in high-SES settings.

Affluent resources are more directly linked to math performance.

Values and achievement relationship is nonlinear in low-SES environments.

Abstract

Grounded in the social cognitive career theory, this study investigates the influence of values on girls' mathematics achievement across socio-economic status (SES) settings, contrasting single-sex and coeducational schools. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) on 2019 TIMSS New Zealand data (N = 2,898) revealed that single-sex education was associated with enhanced girls' mathematical values in high-SES settings. However, its effect on translating these values into improved mathematics performance was relatively limited. Affluent learning resources were the more immediate factor in improving mathematics performance. Moreover, in low-SES environments, the relation between values and mathematics achievement exhibited a complex nonlinear pattern.