Exploring the relation between mathematical values and achievement among girls: A comparative analysis in single-sex vs. coeducational settings using TIMSS 2019 NZ data

Abstract

Grounded in the social cognitive career theory, this study investigates the influence of values on girls' mathematics achievement across socio-economic status (SES) settings, contrasting single-sex and coeducational schools. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) on 2019 TIMSS New Zealand data (N = 2,898) revealed that single-sex education was associated with enhanced girls' mathematical values in high-SES settings. However, its effect on translating these values into improved mathematics performance was relatively limited. Affluent learning resources were the more immediate factor in improving mathematics performance. Moreover, in low-SES environments, the relation between values and mathematics achievement exhibited a complex nonlinear pattern.