Country significantly moderates the gender gap in L2 achievement, favoring females in China and males in Türkiye¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r3 · q3
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Country is a significant moderator: the female advantage is largest in China (g = 0.28) while males outperform females in Türkiye (g = −0.45). → Chen 2026

Evidence¶

Chen 2026¶

Chen, X., Zhou, Z., & Padilla, A. M. (2026). Do Females Outperform Males on Second/Foreign Language (L2) Achievement? A Meta-Analytical Review across Three Decades. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10092-6

q3 · i? · quant-synthesis · r3

Mixed-effects moderator analysis of country categories. Studies in Türkiye showed the largest negative effect (g = −0.45), Saudi Arabia g = −0.15, China g = 0.28, U.S. g = 0.19, Iran g = 0.08, and Other g = 0.32.

"country (F (5, 131) = 3.81, p < 0.01) also appeared to be a significant moderator."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Gender — predictor: outcomes differ by group: a gap reflecting circumstances and treatment, not a cause

Related Claims¶

• Female learners show a small but statistically significant advantage over males in L2 learning achievement (g = 0.17) — a broader claim this one bears on
• Population type significantly moderates the gender gap in L2 achievement, largest in secondary schools and smallest at university — related
• Gender disparities in CT education show a very small but statistically significant overall effect favoring males (g = 0.106) — related