Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP16895
Authors: Michelle Rendall; Jaai Parasnis; Molly Paterson
Abstract: We study the interrelationship between socioeconomic (SES) gaps based on household income, parental education, and labor force status and the gender gap in numeracy. A composite measure of SES confirms that boys from lower SES are more disadvantaged. However, disentangling the three aspects, only girls from lower-income households are doubly disadvantaged by grade 9. At the top of the income distribution, the gender gap is driven by an advantage for boys with stay-at-home mothers or lower education than fathers. In contrast, a mother’s higher education and labor force status are associated with higher test scores for girls across the entire income distribution.
Keywords: Australia; Parental Education; Household Income; Numeracy; Gender Decomposition; Role Models; Stereotypes
JEL Codes: I20; I24; J16
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| early-life socioeconomic status (SES) (I14) | numeracy test scores (C12) |
| lower SES (I24) | numeracy test scores (for girls) (C12) |
| gender (J16) | numeracy scores (C12) |
| lower household income (G59) | numeracy test scores (for girls) (C12) |
| mothers' education (I24) | gender gaps in numeracy scores (I24) |
| labor force participation of mothers (J22) | gender gaps in numeracy scores (I24) |
| early life circumstances (J79) | achievement into adolescence (I24) |