Boys' lower regard, on average, for academic effort could explain why they continue to lag behind girls in education around the world. The findings come according to a new study that analyzed data from more than 750,000 teenagers across 61 countries.
Clotilde Napp, the study's lead author and senior researcher at France's Université Paris Dauphine-PSL, told Newsweek that boys consistently place less value on working hard at school than girls do, a pattern that appears closely linked to their weaker academic outcomes.
“Boys value academic effort less than girls in almost every country we studied, and especially in the most developed ones,” Napp said. “This gap is linked, across countries, to boys' weaker academic performance and lower participation in higher education, what is often called the ‘boys' crisis,' although not in STEM fields, as well as to gender norms, in particular the stereotype that boys are naturally talented and need not work hard to succeed.”
The findings, published in PNAS Nexus, suggest that cultural attitudes about effort may play a vital role in shaping educational outcomes and could help explain a long-standing gender gap seen across much of the world.
Examining Attitudes Toward School
Girls outperform boys academically in most countries. They generally earn higher grades and complete higher education at higher rates than their male peers, although men remain better represented in some STEM fields.
To investigate one possible explanation, Napp analyzed data from the 2012 and 2018 waves of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a triennial international test of 15-year-olds conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The dataset included 750,000 students and survey responses about their beliefs and attitudes toward education.
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The analysis found that boys in nearly every country were less likely than girls to agree with the statement that “trying hard at school is important.” Students' responses were also linked to academic performance, particularly in reading, where gender gaps are often most pronounced.
The study found that these differences in attitude were larger in more developed countries. Nations with wider gender gaps in views about academic effort also tended to have larger gaps in educational achievement and lower rates of higher education participation among boys.
Researchers also discovered that boys were less likely than girls to report receiving strong parental support and encouragement for their academic efforts.
The Role of Gender Stereotypes
According to Napp, cultural beliefs may help explain why boys and girls think differently about effort.
The study suggests that societies often associate talent and brilliance with boys, while linking effort and diligence more closely with girls. Such stereotypes can create the impression that boys should succeed naturally, without needing to work as hard or in such a disciplined manner.
Jasmine Mines, an independent expert who holds a Master of Public Health in the biostatistics and epidemiology track from the University of Southern California, said these assumptions can be damaging for both sexes.
“The ‘boys are naturally brilliant' stereotype does not necessarily help boys, and it does not help girls either,” Mines told Newsweek. “Girls were more likely to report that, when they are failing, they fear they might not have enough talent, and that fear was associated with valuing effort.
"Part of girls' stronger orientation toward effort may therefore coexist with greater self-doubt, while boys may receive a different message about natural ability. Neither is a healthy foundation.”
Rather than reinforcing ideas about innate talent, Mines said educators and families should emphasize growth and persistence.
“The goal should not be to make boys anxious enough to work. It should be to teach every child that ability develops through effort, practice, and persistence,” she said.
Reference
Napp, C. (2026). Gender differences in attitudes toward academic effort and boys’ underachievement: A large-scale international study. PNAS Nexus, Volume 5, Issue 10. https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgag316.
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