On the Gender Gap of Soft-Skills: the Spanish Case

Abstract

In recent years, many studies have referred to the interdependence between cognitive (hard-skills) and students’ academic performance. However, despite their relevance, soft-skills have not received the same treatment and have not been analysed as extensively, particularly from a gender perspective. Therefore, and bearing in mind that analysing from a gender perspective is essential to reduce occupational segregation and soft-skills can enhance young people’s personal and academic development, throughout this paper we have analysed the gender gap in soft-skills with a sample of 15-16 years old students from the Spanish region of Andalusia. To do so, we have used a recent innovation of the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition technique. Our results show not only that the gender gap in soft-skills is correlated with gender stereotypes, but also that grade retention or being an immigrant show a greater degree of association with boys’ soft-skills than girls’, while mothers’ educational level is more correlated with the soft-skills of girls.