Tackling the gender gap in math with active learning teaching practices

We design an innovative teaching method that aims to narrow the Gender Gap in Mathematics (GGM) in primary school and we evaluate its impact in grade 3 in Italy. The teaching methodology consists of 15 hours of math laboratories, which focus on peer interaction, sharing of ideas, students’ engagement, problem solving, and problem posing. The causal effect is evaluated using a randomized controlled trial, conducted in the province of Torino, involving 50 third grade classes in 25 schools, and 1044 students. The treatment significantly improves math performance for girls (0.15 s.d.), with no impact on boys, contributing to reduce the gender gap in math by 39.5-46.2%. The results indicate that properly designed innovative methodologies have the potential to reduce the gender gap in math and call for further research on the role of teaching methodologies on math learning. JEL codes: I21, I24, J16, C93