Let's train Reason: Sport as a Tool to reduce Gender Gaps in Mathematics Achievement

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to evaluate if involvement in sport may generate an improvement in girls’ performance in math scores relative to those in reading. Using data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA, 2015) on test scores of Italian high school students we implement a strategy known as “Instrumental Variables” designed to establish the causal relationship between sports and test scores. The econometric strategy relies on two features, the use of mother education as an instrument to predict the level of sports performed by girls and the use of the ratio of math and reading scores. Results highlight that physical activity improves math test scores for girls. We argue that involvement in sports for girls may make up for the lack of out-of-the-home experiences that typically take place during childhood, generating an improvement in willingness to compete as well as in the ability to perform strategic and logical reasoning under pressure, fostering math performance.