Identification and interpretation of possible differences in science education between boys and girls in compulsory secondary education and baccalaureate

Following worldwide interest towards gender studies in science issues, this paper analyses the educational differences between boys and girls in experimental sciences. For this purpose, we collected the data of student enrolment and academic success in Catalonia from 1999-2000 to 2008-2009 at four educational levels: sixth grade of primary school, fourth grade of secondary school, and first and second year of baccalaureate. Our goal was to determine students' academic success in meeting grade requirements and identify possible gender differences. The results are discussed from the perspective of equity in the graduation rate of children in Primary and Secondary School. Future research should pay special attention to the gender variable in the field of science education. © 2012 Fundación Infancia y Aprendizaje.