Research Into Practice in Israel Education: The Gender Confidence Gap in Israel Education

Part of Prizmah's Research Into Practice in Israel Education Series, this episode focuses on new research on the gender confidence gap in Israel education.  While Jewish day schools have succeeded in fostering emotional connections to Israel among their students, new research reveals a troubling pattern: girls are significantly less confident than boys when discussing Israeli politics and history. Drawing from survey data of over 3,700 students across 96 Jewish day schools, Ilana Horwitz explores the gender confidence gap—present in 4 out of 5 schools—and its implications for Israel education. The data shows that 12th-grade girls report confidence levels similar to or lower than 7th-grade boys, a gap that persists across all denominations and grade levels. Moving beyond affective goals alone, this research challenges educators to build both heart connections AND intellectual confidence in their students. In partnership with Brandeis University Press.