Girls are overrepresented in the low-and-stable math self-efficacy trajectory¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r3 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2031: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q3 i3 The proportion of girls in the Low Stable SE trajectory (67.1%) was significantly higher than in the High Stable (45.0%, d = 0.90) and Decreasing (45.1%, d = 0.86) trajectories. → Peura 2026

Evidence¶

Peura 2026¶

Peura, P., Koponen, T., Aro, T., Viholainen, H., & Aro, M. (2026). Dynamics of change in math self-efficacy, sources of self-efficacy, and math skills. Journal of Educational Psychology, 118(2), 209-223. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0001006

q3 · i3 · associational · r3

Bolck–Croon–Hagenaars analyses with Wald tests and Cohen's d compared gender composition across the four self-efficacy trajectories. The Low Stable trajectory had 67.1% girls versus 45.0% and 45.1% in the high-initial trajectories, with d = 0.90 and d = 0.86.

"The proportion of girls in the Low Stable SE trajectory (67.1% girls) was higher than in the profiles characterized by high initial SE trajectories (High Stable SE, 45.0% girls, d = 0.90; Decreasing SE, 45.1% girls, d = 0.86)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

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

Related Claims¶

• Primary school children follow four distinct trajectories of change in math self-efficacy over a school year: high stable, low stable, increasing, and decreasing — a broader claim this one bears on
• Math self-efficacy trajectories differ in initial math skills and rate of math skill development — related