Introduction: The following study examines gender differences existing in various cognitive-motivational variables (causal attributions, academic goals, academic self-concept and use of significant learning strategies) and in performance attained in school subjects of Language Arts and Mathematics. Method: For this purpose, a sample of 521 students were selected from the second cycle of mandatory secondary education ["N.T. 9th and 10th grades]. The following questionnaires were used: AFA, MAPE-II, EMA-II and LASSI. Results: Results show the existence of gender difference in variables under consideration, with girls showing lower levels of extrinsic motivation, taking more responsibility for their failures, using information processing strategies more extensively, and getting better marks in Language Arts. Gender differences were not found in academic self-concept, in intrinsic motivation, in success-related attributions and in performance attained in Mathematics. Discussion: Results suggest that differences exist in the cognitive-motivational functioning of boys and girls in the academic environment, with the girls have a more adaptive approach to learning tasks. However, the influence of contextual variables that may differently affect boys' and girls' motivation was not taken into account. Thus, future research should address the influence of such factors. (Contains 7 figures and 4 tables.)