Correspondence Heuristic and Filter-Empowerment Heuristic: Investigating the Reversed Gender Achievement Gap in a Sample of Secondary School Students in Saudi Arabia within the Framework of Educational and Learning Capital

Abstract

The reversed gender achievement gap in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in favor of girls developed in a societal environment that still predominantly favors men. The finding illustrates how equity gaps at higher systemic levels may not translate seamlessly to lower systemic levels. We propose that this lack of correspondence between systemic levels regarding equity gaps can be explained by the fact that more exogenous learning resources (educational capital) selectively reach girls’ actiotopes, enabling them to build more effective endogenous learning resources (learning capital) and, in particular, effective action repertoires. To investigate this assumption, we introduce a filter-empowerment heuristic and contrast it with a simpler correspondence heuristic. We employ the filter-empowerment heuristic and the education and learning capital approach to investigate the reversed gender achievement gap in a sample of secondary school students in the KSA. We test four hypotheses: (a) Girls have higher academic achievement than boys. (b) Girls have more educational capital and (c) more learning capital than boys. (d) Educational and learning capital mediate the relationship between gender and academic achievement. The hypotheses were tested with a sample of 2541 ninth-grade students from 55 KSA schools. The four hypotheses were confirmed and support a filter-empowerment heuristic rather than a correspondence heuristic.

Factors Affecting the Satisfaction of Women Employees in Health Sector: A Perception Study in Saudi Arabia

“…The findings of this investigation illuminate that gender parity in remuneration is maintained within the healthcare sector, which has positively impacted female workers’ satisfaction, but such a revelation is contrary to previous reports indicating significant pay gaps between women and men. 21 , 22 However, such inconsistency between this study’s findings and previously reported data on gender pay gaps may be explained based on the industry-specific improvements. Subsequently, it becomes affirmative to allude that the Saudi healthcare sector may be outperforming other sectors in terms of pushing for fair and equitable remuneration for women, but such hypotheses may require sector-specific comparisons if plausible inferences were to be made.…”

“…The results of this study reveal invaluable insights on how women worker’s satisfaction levels may have a bearing on equality when it comes to remuneration, which reflects Stoeger et al’s call on parity in salaries, wages, or allowances as key for women’s perception on women empowerment. 22 It should be recalled that one of the key motivations to work is remuneration, which implies that when one is satisfied that they are well remunerated, the potential for them to be satisfied and work hard increases. The findings of this investigation illuminate that gender parity in remuneration is maintained within the healthcare sector, which has positively impacted female workers’ satisfaction, but such a revelation is contrary to previous reports indicating significant pay gaps between women and men.…”

“…For instance, a report by the World Economic Forum indicates that Saudi Arabia ranks 127th out of 146 countries in terms of equal pay, which is confirmed by Stoeger et al's study that found significant gender pay disparities. 21,22 Therefore, despite progress toward women's empowerment, gender equity in the workplace is yet to be achieved in terms of opportunities. [21][22][23][24][25] Besides, the majority of women still feel that although a majority of institutional barriers have been eliminated, they are yet to receive equal representation in various employment opportunities.…”

Talent denied: Equity and excellence gaps in STEMM

“…Even when focusing on a specific and seemingly well‐defined equity gap such as the gender payment gap in medicine, it quickly becomes clear that many further methodological refinements are necessary, for example, regarding country or employment, among other factors 88–90 . Further complicating the picture is the phenomenon of reversed equity gaps, that is, a possible reversal of a typical pattern of inequality 91,92 . Thus, it seems as if each equity gap has its own unique biography, characteristics, and diversity.…”

“…[88][89][90] Further complicating the picture is the phenomenon of reversed equity gaps, that is, a possible reversal of a typical pattern of inequality. 91,92 Thus, it seems as if each equity gap has its own unique biography, characteristics, and diversity. This, of course, complicates the conceptualization of a unified umbrella concept.…”