Where Are the Males? Gender Gap in Higher Education

This study examines the potential factors causing a gender gap in academic achievement in the higher learning institutions of Brunei Darussalam. Given that the gender gap is a worldwide phenomenon and problem in many educational settings, this study investigates the reasons for its persistence and how it can be resolved in the Brunei context. This mixed-methods research has uncovered significant characteristics of high scorers in mathematics and English. The study has also established that female students perform better than males in both mathematics and English. The implications of this study highlight the need for interventions to reduce the gender gap in achievement, involving multiple agents, including parents, teachers, schools and the government.