Cultural influences on gender gap in test scores in Afghanistan

Explainer of Shah Mobariz et al. (2024), Applied Economics Letters. Not the journal article.

Citation: Shah Mobariz, A., & Shakya, S. (2024). Cultural influences on gender gap in test scores: Findings from Afghanistan’s university entrance examination. Applied Economics Letters. Download

Facts¶

Main finding¶

Cultural influences significantly affect the gender gap in test scores on Afghanistan’s university entrance examination, with findings informing education policy in post-conflict settings.

One caveat¶

Cross-sectional test score data cannot identify specific mechanisms through which culture operates or establish causality between cultural variables and achievement gaps.

Policy hook¶

Education policy must address gender gaps in achievement, but cultural factors may interact with schooling. How much do cultural influences explain gender gaps in test scores in Afghanistan’s university entrance examination?

Data and setting¶

Afghanistan’s university entrance examination data; analysis of gender gaps in test performance with cultural variables.

Research design (plain language)¶

Econometric analysis examining how cultural factors moderate or explain gender gaps in university entrance exam performance in Afghanistan.

PDF or DOI¶

Publisher page

Why it matters¶

Gender gaps in educational achievement are persistent globally, especially in conflict-affected and patriarchal societies. Understanding whether gaps stem from schooling quality, cultural norms, or family resources is needed for policy design. This paper’s finding that culture shapes test scores in Afghanistan has consequences for post-conflict education policy: if cultural factors are significant, education alone (more schools, more teachers) won’t close gaps; parallel efforts addressing norms and expectations may be needed. For Afghanistan specifically, the results suggest that university entrance exam design and policy implementation should account for cultural dynamics affecting different groups. For girls’ education globally, the paper highlights that gaps often reflect not student ability but social/cultural barriers to achievement recognition. For education economists, it demonstrates that standard schooling inputs explain only part of gender gaps in achievement; institutional and cultural settings matter. The limitation (cross-sectional data) prevents identifying exact mechanisms, but the finding that culture matters is itself policy-relevant and should shape how policy makers target programs.