Discrimination or a Competitive Climate? Why Women Cannot Translate Their Better High School Grades into University Grades
Assistant Professor Diana-Roxana Galos has published a new article in Research in Higher Education. The article examines the gender gap in academic performance from high school to university, focusing on how perceived discrimination and competition affect young women’s academic achievements. Although girls outperform boys in high school, they underperform at university, particularly in male-dominated fields.
Using data from Germany's national Student Survey, the study shows that while girls have higher high school grades, their university performance is less correlated with these grades compared to boys. Additionally, young women report higher levels of perceived discrimination and competition, compared to their male peers. The study further indicates that an increased level of perceived discrimination is strongly associated with lower academic performance for young women, thereby plausibly hindering their ability to reach their full academic potential.
Read summary of the findings in The Times Higher Education
Click here to read the article