Boys' lower regard, on average, for academic effort could explain why they continue to lag behind girls in education around the world. The findings come according to a new study that analyzed data from more than 750,000 teenagers across 61 countries. Clotilde Napp, the study's lead author and senior researcher at France's Université Paris Dauphine-PSL, told Newsweek that boys consistently place less value on working hard at school than girls do, a pattern that appears closely linked to their weaker academic outcomes.
Girls outperform boys academically in most countries. They generally earn higher grades and complete higher education at higher rates than their male peers, although men remain better represented in some STEM fields. To investigate one possible explanation, Napp analyzed data from the 2012 and 2018 waves of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a triennial international test of 15-year-olds conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The dataset included 750,000 students and survey responses about their beliefs and attitudes toward education. The analysis found that boys in nearly every country were less likely than girls to agree with the statement that “trying hard at school is important.” Students' responses were also linked to academic performance, particularly in reading, where gender gaps are often most pronounced. The study found that these differences in attitude were larger in more developed countries.
Nations with wider gender gaps in views about academic effort also tended to have larger gaps in educational achievement and lower rates of higher education participation among boys. Researchers also discovered that boys were less likely than girls to report receiving strong parental support and encouragement for their academic efforts. According to Napp, cultural beliefs may help explain why boys and girls think differently about effort.
The study suggests that societies often associate talent and brilliance with boys, while linking effort and diligence more closely with girls. Such stereotypes can create the impression that boys should succeed naturally, without needing to work as hard or in such a disciplined manner. Jasmine Mines, an independent expert who holds a Master of Public Health in the biostatistics and epidemiology track from the University of Southern California, said these assumptions can be damaging for both sexes.
"Part of girls' stronger orientation toward effort may therefore coexist with greater self-doubt, while boys may receive a different message about natural ability. Neither is a healthy foundation.” Rather than reinforcing ideas about innate talent, Mines said educators and families should emphasize growth and persistence. It should be to teach every child that ability develops through effort, practice, and persistence,” she said.
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