Can the gender gap in reading comprehension be traced to differences in school engagement?

Abstract

In Iceland, the 10th-grade performance in reading comprehension has been rather stable in the past decade, after declining considerably during the period 2000 to 2006 (Menntaog menningarmálaráðuneytið, 2014; Menntamálastofnun, e.d.). According to the 2012 PISA results in Iceland, 21% of the students did not attain the baseline level of proficiency in reading. Being under baseline reading level means not being capable of understanding their textbooks, nor being able to read for their own enjoyment. It can also affect their potential for participating in modern society, which often requires good reading skills (Chhabra and McCardle, 2004). Still, the high percentage of students under baseline level is not the only concern Icelanders are facing. Girls outperform boys in reading comprehension in general in the OECD countries (PISA test), and Icelandic girls are no exception. What is unusual in Iceland is the low scores of boys in the PISA reading comprehension tests (Almar M. Halldórsson, Ragnar F. Ólafsson and Júlíus K. Björnsson, 2012; Menntamálastofnun, e.d.; OECD, 2010). In an attempt to find ways to increase reading comprehension, researchers have identified school engagement as a positive and malleable predictor of student achievement (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004; Guthrie, Wigfield, & You, 2012). Studies have shown that there is also a gender difference in school engagement, where girls show more school engagement than boys (King, 2016; Lam et al., 2012). In this study, the relations between school engagement and reading comprehension was examined for both boys and girls, but limited research exists on the matter (King, 2016; Lam et al., 2012). More knowledge about the connection between gender and learning outcomes is important for the design of effective interventions (Fredricks et al. 2004). The current study investigated (1) how girls and boys differ in reading comprehension and school engagement, (2) to what extent gender difference in school engagement can predict gender difference in reading comprehension (mediation hypothesis), and (3) whether school engagement makes the same difference in reading comprehension for both genders (moderation or differential effects hypothesis). A total of 561 students participated in this study. Data from the longitudinal study, Development of Self-Regulation and Positive Youth Development in Iceland, was used for measuring school engagement, where 9th-grade students answered a survey in test-like circumstances. Reading comprehension was measured as part of a standardized test in Icelandic language skills (The Icelandic National Examinations; INE) at the beginning of 10th-grade. A structural equation model was used to test the study hypothesis. Girls outperformed boys in reading comprehension (d = 0.34) and showed more school engagement than boys (d = 0.35). School engagement was a strong predictor of reading comprehension for the whole group (? = 0.45), and contributed equally for girls (? = 0.44), and for boys (? = 0.43). In this study, school engagement fully mediated the relationship between gender and reading comprehension, where all gender difference in reading comprehension could be explained in terms of gender difference in school engagement. The indirect effect of gender on reading comprehension was ? = 0.10, p < .001, bootstrap 10,000. In conclusion, the measured gender difference in reading comprehension may be traced to lack of school engagement among boys; thus more support of school engagement is likely to increase reading comprehension for both genders. These results raise the question whether the gender difference found in this study is acceptable, especially when looking at how important good reading comprehension can be for the quality of life. Nonetheless, there is a reason to be optimistic. School engagement is thought to be malleable, and given that good support in school engagement is likely to lead to better reading comprehension, the gender gap may be closed. More importantly, both boys and girls might benefit from better support in school engagement resulting in increased reading comprehension. Nevertheless, more research is needed to clarify the impact of interventions to promote school engagement.