Gender differences in adolescents’ noncognitive skill development during the COVID-19 pandemic

Numerous studies show adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ cognitive skill development, while much less is known about the impact on their noncognitive skills. The paper focuses on the changes in gender differences in noncognitive skills among Chinese elementary school students aged 9 to 13 during the pandemic. We use two datasets that complement each other in design, both containing detailed information regarding students and their home and school environments before and during the pandemic. Our findings indicate that compared to boys, girls experienced statistically significant declines in noncognitive skills. We explore the mechanisms from the family, school and individual perspectives. The primary influence on gender disparities appears to be driven by a more significant decrease in peer interactions within the school environment and an elevated psychological stress level experienced by girls during the pandemic. However, there is limited evidence supporting the notion that girls experienced more family financial shock or less parental support during this period. Our results suggest that overlooking noncognitive dimensions may lead to serious underestimates of the impact of the pandemic on the development of gender inequality in the long run.