Changes in Sex Differences in Scottish Examination Results since 1976

Abstract

This study describes trends in the size and distribution of sex differences between Scottish secondary pupils in their national certificate examination results between 1976 and 1984. It also examines the relationship between sex differences and social class, and between sex differences and geographical location. We employ data from the Scottish School Leavers Surveys which describe three nationally representative samples of pupils who left school in 1976, 1980, and 1984. The findings show that ten years ago there was no sex difference in overall examination attainment, but by 1984 there was a considerable female advantage. The female advantage in English increased between 1976 and 1984, and the gap in arithmetic, which previously favored males, no longer remained in 1984. The findings also show that social-class inequality far outweighs sex inequality: differences between pupils in the top and bottom social-class categories in their mean levels of performance were about 1.25 to 1.5 standard deviations, compared with sex differences, which at most were about .25 of a standard deviation. The performance of working-class pupils relative to middle-class pupils improved over the eight-year period; however, the study did not lend support to theories that hypothesize sex differences are larger for either high or low social-class pupils. The study suggests that differences in the local opportunity structure may be a determining factor of sex inequality: in rural areas the attainment and achievement scores of males were considerably below the national average. Rural females, who had worse employment prospects at the end of fourth year, remained at school longer, had better examination results, and had higher rates of entry into post-secondary institutions than their male peers.