Published in: IEA Compass: Briefs in Education

Abstract:

This Compass Brief examines gender differences in students’ civic knowledge and attitudes toward globally important social topics. It uses data from IEA’s International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2022, which assessed the civic knowledge of eighth-grade students across 22 countries. The findings from ICCS 2022 indicate a notable gender gap in civic knowledge in most participating countries, with boys scoring lower on average than girls in all such cases. Students exhibited strong positive attitudes toward gender equality, although boys were significantly less likely than girls on average to express support for it. The disparity in support for gender equality was larger than for any other indicator. In most countries, and on average internationally, boys were significantly less likely than girls to express positive attitudes about environmental protection and concern about global environmental threats. In the event of national emergencies in democratic systems, boys in half of the participating countries were significantly more likely than girls to accept restrictions, such as prohibiting large gatherings, imposing travel restrictions, or identifying people whose behavior might put others at risk. These gender differences in attitudes present challenges for building more democratic, equitable, and sustainable societies worldwide.

Clerkin, A., Welmond, M., & Gregory, L. (2025). International Gender Differences in Civic Knowledge and Attitudes: Implications and Ways Forward. IEA Compass: Briefs in Education #28. IEA. https://www.iea.nl/sites/default/files/2025-10/CB28%20ICCS%20Gender%20Differences.pdf