Sex differences in mathematical ability were examined in a nation-wide sample of 32,346 Jordanian 4th graders (age 9–10 year) on a 40-item mathematics test. Overall, boys were found to perform slightly worse (d = −0.12) but had slightly more variation in scores (SD = 1.02 and SD = 0.98 for boys and girls, respectively). However, when results were disaggregated by school type, single-sex versus coed (i.e., coeducational), boys were found to perform better than girls in coed schools (d = 0.27) but worse across single-sex schools (d = −0.37). Two-parameter item response theory analysis showed that item difficulty was similar across sexes in the full sample. Item loadings exhibited substantial departure from measurement invariance with respect to boys and girls at single-sex schools, though. For boys and girls at coed schools, both the item difficulty and item loading correlations were highly similar, evincing that measurement invariance largely held in this case. Partially consistent with findings from other countries, a correlation between item difficulty and male advantage was observed, r = .57, such that the relative male advantage increased with increased item difficulty. Complicating interpretation, this association did not replicate within coed schools. Item content, Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy category, and item position showed no relation to sex differences.

中文翻译：

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32,347名约旦四年级学生参加全国数学考试的性别差异

在一项40项数学测试中，在全国32,346名约旦四年级学生（9至10岁）中对数学能力的性别差异进行了检查。总体而言，发现男孩的表现稍差（d = -0.12），但得分的差异稍大（男孩和女孩的SD = 1.02和SD = 0.98）。但是，当按学校类型，单性与男女同校（即男女同校）分类结果时，发现男女同校的男生表现优于女生（d = 0.27），而在单性学校中则差于女生（d = -0.37） 。两参数项目响应理论分析表明，在整个样本中，项目难度在不同性别之间是相似的。不过，单性别学校中男孩和女孩的物品装载量与测量不变性有很大的出入。对于男女同校的男孩和女孩，项目难度和项目装载相关性都非常相似，这表明在这种情况下测量不变性在很大程度上保持不变。部分与其他国家的研究结果一致，观察到项目难度与男性优势之间存在相关性，r = .57，因此相对男性优势随着项目难度的增加而增加。复杂的解释是，这种联系并没有在男女同校中复制。项目内容，Bloom的认知分类学类别和项目位置均与性别差异无关。这样男性相对优势就随着物品难度的增加而增加。复杂的解释是，这种联系并没有在男女同校中复制。项目内容，Bloom的认知分类学类别和项目位置均与性别差异无关。这样男性相对优势就随着物品难度的增加而增加。复杂的解释是，这种联系并没有在男女同校中复制。项目内容，Bloom的认知分类学类别和项目位置均与性别差异无关。