This study examined gender differences in student engagement and academic
performance in school. Participants included 3420 students (7th, 8th, and 9th
graders) from Austria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Portugal,
Romania, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The results
indicated that, compared to boys, girls reported higher levels of engagement in
school andwere rated higher by their teachers in academic performance. Student
engagement accounted for gender differences in academic performance, but
gender did not moderate the associations among student engagement, academic
performance, or contextual supports. Analysis of multiple-group structural
equation modeling revealed that perceptions of teacher support and parent
support, but not peer support, were related indirectly to academic performance
through student engagement. This partial mediation model was invariant across
gender. The findings from this study enhance the understanding about the
contextual and personal factors associated with girls' and boys' academic
performance around the world