Evaluating the geography of gendered achievement using large-scale assessment data from the primary school system of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

Abstract This study analyzed the spatial distribution of gender differentials in Mathematics and Language Arts on national assessments of educational achievement in the primary school system of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The findings indicate statistically significant medium-sized differences favouring females on Language Arts primarily in the rural regions of east Trinidad and in the island of Tobago and statistically significant, negligible to small differences on Mathematics nationwide. Individual schools reporting medium-sized gender differences were more common in rural, low-performing education districts, where reported poverty was also higher. This pattern of early gendered achievement in language within low-achieving, poor and rural geographic locations points towards the need for placed-based education policies and focused interventions.