Data Insights: An Exploration of Differences Between Boys and Girls

Education researchers and practitioners have long been interested in understanding the differences between boys and girls in terms of their early learning and development. Historically, studies found that girls tended to excel in language and verbal abilities while boys excelled in gross motor skills and spatial tasks. However, recent research has provided a more nuanced understanding of these differences, suggesting that they may be more prominent in certain age ranges, and that a combination of factors such as early experience, biological factors, cultural context, socioeconomic status, and educational policies may be driving these differences.

This publication further investigate sex differences across the five ELOM domains in children aged 50-59 in South Africa and identifies whether certain factors that predict performance on these ELOM domains differ for boys and girls.

Published: May 2024

Authors: Dr Erofili Grapsa, Dr Caylee Cook (DataDriev2030)

Download the Preschoolers’ Motor, Cognitive, and Social-Emotional Functioning in South Africa: An Exploration of Differences Between Boys and Girls report here.