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This study was undertaken to assess gender differences in mathematics achievement and retention by using Problem-Based Learning (PBL). The design of the study was pre-posttest quasi-experimental. Four hundred and twenty eight senior secondary one (SS I) students using multistage sampling from ten grant-aided and government schools were involved in the study. Two hundred and sixty one male students and one hundred and sixty seven female students were taught algebra using PBL method of instruction. Algebra Achievement Test (AAT) constructed by the researchers was the main instrument used for data collection. Two hypotheses were raised for the study and tested using t-test at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that male and female students taught algebra using PBL did not significantly differ in achievement and retention scores, thereby revealing that male and female students are capable of competing and collaborating in mathematics. In addition, this finding showed that performance is a function of orientation, not gender. The studies recommend the use of PBL by mathematics teachers to overcome the male image of mathematics and enhance students' (male and female) achievement and retention.

This study, conducted at Northeastern Illinois University, examined gender differences in professional goals of 95 degreed, professionally experienced students seeking secondary certification in mathematics and science (50 females and 45 males). An analysis of the stated goals found that all goals could be assigned to the following 10 categories: (1) fostering students' interest in mathematics and the natural sciences; (2) stimulating students' interest in mathematics and science related careers; (3) promoting students' academic achievement in mathematics and science; (4) promoting the development of students as whole persons; (5) serving as positive role models for students; (6) achieving one's own professional goals and gaining personal satisfaction; (7) fully utilizing and sharing academic and professional expertise; (8) making a contribution to the larger community; (9) eliminating students' fear and anxiety related to mathematics and science; and (10) addressing gender issues in mathematics and science. Gender differences were found in most of these categories. For example, the greatest difference was related to goal 6 (55 percent of males and 28 percent of females noted this as a goal), and goal 4 (56 percent of females and 35 percent of males). The findings suggest that teacher educators who are sensitive to the possibility of gender differences in their students' goals can assist these preservice teachers in developing and attaining more comprehensive and broad-ranging goals that will positively impact the future teachers' secondary students. (ND)

This study is based on data from a state-wide assessment that included both multiple-choice and constructed-response items. The intent of the study was to see whether item types make a difference in gender results. The items on both tests were categorized according to whether they assessed procedural knowledge, concepts, problem solving, or mathematical communication. Data came from Delaware, which in 1995 administered two tests in mathematics to all public school students in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. A total of 29,809 students were tested on the Delaware "Interim Assessment," a constructed-response test, and the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) (or the ITBS Tests of Achievement and Proficiency Survey Battery in grade 10). On the Interim Assessment in grade 3, the female mean raw score was higher, but at all other grades, males outperformed females. On the ITBS, males scored higher in grades 3 and 8, and there was no difference at grade 5 or 10, although the male mean score was higher at every grade. Differences generated by the broad and narrow interpretations of problem solving show some gender differences that might not have been apparent otherwise. Overall, males outperformed females on problem solving at grades 8 and 10. Results in some ways contradict the more hopeful conclusions of other studies that have shown the gender gap to be narrowing, though they do affirm some results of a study that showed males stronger in problem solving in the high school years. Results suggest that, while the gap is narrowing on traditional multiple choice tests, it is still present on more complex items that require students to construct their own responses and communicate their thinking. It is especially disturbing to see that the gap increases with grade level, which is in keeping with other studies showing females falling behind in adolescence. An appendix contains the item characterization protocol of the 1995 Delaware Mathematics Assessment. (Contains 6 tables and 16 references.) (SLD)

This paper contains a new analysis of gender differences in early grade reading and mathematics outcomes in 19 USAID-funded studies over the past decade from 14 locations in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The paper addresses gaps in the literature related to learning patterns for girls and boys in lower- and middle-income countries and in early primary school. We analyzed the results from reading and mathematics assessments in grades 2 and 3, including differences in oral reading fluency (ORF) and quantitative comparison scores between boys and girls, as well as differences in score distributions by gender. In line with results from assessments in upper grades and in wealthier countries, we found that girls consistently outperformed boys in reading. In mathematics, boys slightly outperformed girls, although the differences were typically not large. Global experience has shown that patterns in poor performance become more entrenched the further learners progress through the grades, suggesting that early interventions for boys in reading and girls in mathematics could have long-term benefits. At the same time, both girls and boys typically score below expectations in the two subjects across countries, necessitating targeted strategies to improve outcomes for both genders early in their educational trajectories.

This paper reports on a study carried out in the Netherlands which is aimed at finding an explanation for the curious evidence that the reformed approach to mathematics education appears to have a less positive influence on girls' results. Over and over it turns out that girls' achievement scores in primary mathematics are lower than those of boys. The research started with 5000 schools and ended up with 4 schools. The paper focuses on the last part of this zooming-in research in which the classroom observations took place. By means of these observations a number of classroom characteristics, which make the teaching less optimized for girls and may cause their mathematics scores to be lower, have been traced. (Contains 1 table.) [For complete proceedings, see ED500860.]

Girls consistently out perform boys in mathematics in Hawai'i. Starting from the premise that literacy is a prerequisite for mathematics learning, a causal model was proposed to account for gender differences in mathematics on multiple choice (MC) and constructed response (CR) items in conjunction with the effects of reading and writing. Two separate path analyses were conducted using the statewide 2002 Hawai'i State Assessment (HSA) data of the grade three and grade five cohorts. With their verbal advantage taken into consideration, girls are found to be disfavored on both MC and CR items, with MC items proving to be more challenging than CR items. These results call attention to gender appropriate pedagogical approaches to optimize mathematics learning for boys and girls in Hawai'i.

This paper aims at contributing to the body of knowledge that exists in the area of differences in participation in elective mathematics, between boys and girls in Secondary Schools in Ghana. A sample of 738 respondents from five Secondary Schools was purposively selected using purposive sampling technique. All the respondents were final year students and had studied extensively more than a half of the elective mathematics syllabus. The selected schools were made up of two single-sex female schools, one single-sex male school and one mixed-sex schools from Cape Coast municipality in the central region and one mixed-sex school, from Sekondi in the western region of Ghana. Relevant data were gathered using a set of questionnaire and an interview schedule prepared by the researchers. The analysis of the personal interviews with some of the female respondents revealed various reasons why some females were attracted to the study of elective mathematics. The study revealed that the participation of males in elective mathematics was 50.5% while that of females was 27.2% giving an indication that females participated in elective mathematics less often than their male counterparts. Suggestions for increasing female participation in senior secondary school elective mathematics were made and areas for further research on the topic have also been suggested.

There is strong evidence that suggests gendered beliefs and early attitudes about mathematics predict later achievement and academic choices in STEM and that these attitudes are tied to parents’ beliefs and interactions with their children surrounding mathematics. Parents’ math-specific beliefs and engagement in math-related activities with their children have not been examined within the same study in how they relate to child gender. The aim of this study is to identify early gender differences in the home mathematics environment. We plan to utilize an existing dataset on the early home learning environment that includes measures of parents’ beliefs, ratings of appropriateness of mathematics activities, and engagement in mathematics activities with their children to examine potential gender differences in these areas.

There is strong evidence that suggests gendered beliefs and early attitudes about mathematics predict later achievement and academic choices in STEM and that these attitudes are tied to parents’ beliefs and interactions with their children surrounding mathematics. Parents’ math-specific beliefs and engagement in math-related activities with their children have not been examined within the same study in how they relate to child gender. The aim of this study is to identify early gender differences in the home mathematics environment. We plan to utilize an existing dataset on the early home learning environment that includes measures of parents’ beliefs, ratings of appropriateness of mathematics activities, and engagement in mathematics activities with their children to examine potential gender differences in these areas.

This study investigated gender differences in the effect of PAL (peer-assisted learning) on students' mathematics performance in Enugu State of Nigeria. It used pre-test and post-test non-randomized control group design. Four research questions and four hypotheses guided the study. The population was SS II (senior secondary school class II) students in the state. The sample consisted of 597 students: 342 male and 255 female students. Multi-stage random sampling and purposive sampling were used at different stages. Subjects were marched 1:1--high achiever: low achiever. Treatment consisted of one term of PAL which commenced after orientation to both students and guidance counselors who monitored them. Pre-test and post-test scores were obtained from school records. Students' grades in mathematics were obtained in the term preceding the PAL term and at the end of the PAL term. Data were analyzed using means and t-test. Findings show that PAL was effective in enhancing the mathematics performance of all male and female LAS (low achieving students) but did not improve the performance of female HAS (high achieving students). The results were discussed and one of the recommendations made was that PAL be taught to student teachers on training and teachers during in-service training so that they can acquire the knowledge and use it to improve academic performance of children with specific learning disabilities, LAS as well as HAS. (Contains 8 tables.) [This research was supported in part by the Nigeria National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).]

This study focused on gender differences in scores on the American College Testing Program (ACT) assessment in mathematics for a large sample of U.S. high school graduates (over 1,700,000) and a sample of 321 Chinese twelfth graders. A smaller gender difference was found for the Chinese sample than for the U.S. sample. However, a similar pattern of difference was found for both cultures. Gender differences existed not only in score means but also in score distributions. Gender differences increasingly favored males as subject ability level increased, and the magnitude of gender differences was varied across tasks for both cultures. The homogeneous culture for Chinese males and females might be one cause of the smaller gender difference in the Chinese sample. (Contains 5 tables, 9 figures, and 6 references.) (Author/SLD)

This study focused on gender differences in scores on the American College Testing Program (ACT) assessment in mathematics for a large sample of U.S. high school graduates (over 1,700,000) and a sample of 321 Chinese twelfth graders. A smaller gender difference was found for the Chinese sample than for the U.S. sample. However, a similar pattern of difference was found for both cultures. Gender differences existed not only in score means but also in score distributions. Gender differences increasingly favored males as subject ability level increased, and the magnitude of gender differences was varied across tasks for both cultures. The homogeneous culture for Chinese males and females might be one cause of the smaller gender difference in the Chinese sample. (Contains 5 tables, 9 figures, and 6 references.) (Author/SLD)

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) offers a unique opportunity to examine some of the issues related to gender differences in mathematics achievement in an international context. TIMSS report of 8th grade mathematics achievement revealed few significant differences in mean achievement by gender; differences that did exist, however, tended to favor males. The TIMSS report of students in their final year of secondary school found significant gender differences favoring males in mathematics literacy (i.e., application of mathematics to everyday problems), and even greater differences favoring males in advanced mathematics. Previous cross-national studies, including TIMSS, have examined gender differences in secondary school mathematics achievement overall and by content area, but few have looked at gender differences in mathematics achievement by levels of achievement or according to the processes for problem solving involved in different mathematical tasks. In Part I of the study, TIMSS performance data were analyzed by gender for low-, middle-, and high-performers to determine if differences are related to overall achievement levels. Part 2 examined TIMSS performance data by gender and by cognitive demand to see if the processes for solving problems in mathematical tasks differ for males and females. Part 3 of the study examined TIMSS achievement data by gender and by item format to decide if performance differs for males and females by the type of item (i.e., multiple choice, short answer, or extended response). The study observed few differences in mathematics performance between 8th grade males and females by ability level. Larger gender differences developed in the 12th grade mathematics literacy assessment and even larger gender differences were observed in advanced mathematics. In the 12th grade, high-performing males (i.e., top 25%) tended to outperform females in a majority of the countries. In general, 12th grade males outperformed females on problem solving and multiple-choice items in both the mathematics literacy and advanced mathematics assessments. An examination of gender differences in mathematics performance by item format found few differences at the 8th grade level but larger differences in all three item formats in the 12th grade mathematics literacy and advanced mathematics assessments. Contains 62 references and 20 tables. (Author/WRM)

Focusing mostly on their application for primary schools, this document describes the educational key performance indicators (KPI) employed by the Wendsworth, England, Local Educational Authority (LEA). Indicators are divided into 3 areas, educational context, resource development, and outcomes. Contextual indicators include pupil mobility, home language, and numbers by age group; proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals; and ethnic breakdown of school population. Resource development indicators include overall budget, staffing expenditures, class size, and pupil to teacher ratio. Outcome indicators include pupil attainment measured by reading and mathematics tests, pupil attendance, and pupil exclusions. Additional indicators include equity of resource distribution and gender differences in educational outcomes. Using KPI can help researchers evaluate and compare schools. In addition, the employment of KPI improves accountability by providing governors with a way to ask relevant questions about school management and focuses attention on key educational outcomes of individual pupils. (Contains 11 references.) (JW)

Recent studies [10, 23] using US nationwide databases showed high school boys spent significantly less time doing homework than girls, based on their responses to questionnaires and surveys. To investigate gender differences in homework in middle school, in this paper, we analyzed computer log data and standardized test scores of more than 1,000 7th grade students who participated in a large-scale randomized controlled online homework efficacy study. Students used the ASSISTments platform to do their homework for a school year. Our results suggested no significant difference between the time the two genders spent on homework overall. There was a marginally significant difference on homework time between genders in the high performing group only. When examining the system-student interaction data, we found significant difference between boys and girls in their helpseeking behaviors. In addition, we found out that boys have benefited from the online homework intervention more than girls. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED579217. For the full proceedings, see ED592609.]

H. Wainer and L. Steinberg (1992) showed that within broad categories of first-year college mathematics courses (e.g., calculus), men had substantially higher average scores on the mathematics section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT-M) than women who earned the same letter grade. However, Wainer and Steinberg's analysis may lead to unwarranted conclusions in that they: (1) focused primarily on differences in SAT-M scores given course grades when the more important question for admissions officers is the difference in course grades given scores on the predictor; (2) failed to account for differences among calculus courses; and (3) focused on the use of the SAT-M as an isolated indicator. Reanalysis, taking distinctions among courses into consideration, suggests that Wainer and Steinberg's estimates were too large by about 10 points in calculus courses, although estimates for precalculus courses are confirmed. The reanalysis, which concentrated on 43 colleges, indicated that a more appropriate composite indicator made up of both SAT-M and high school grade point average demonstrated minuscule gender differences for both calculus and precalculus courses. (Contains 10 tables and 9 references.) (Author/SLD)

This study of gender differences in mathematics learning examined two 4-year-olds who attended a Melbourne, Australia preschool. The study traces the experiences of the students, one female and one male, during their first formal exposure to mathematics in kindergarten. Of particular concern was how the preschoolers interacted with their teacher, the ways in which the students processed the explanations of important mathematical concepts given by the teacher, and the ways in which they approached and handled unfamiliar mathematical problems. Research has indicated that teachers often interact differently with their male and female students, with males attracting more interactions. Findings showed substantial differences in the students' involvement during relatively formal, teacher-led sessions concerned with exploring and developing mathematical concepts. The students differed in their response to teacher questions and their patterns of offering unsolicited comments or initiating interactions with the teacher. As a result, the male student's visibility was higher than the female's. The teacher's mode of instruction contributed to higher male visibility and to the provision of opportunities to confirm or challenge students' emerging understandings. (SH)

This study examines whether male and female teachers differ in: (1) their background or training for instructional uses of microcomputers, and (2) their uses of microcomputers to teach mathematics and science. Research carried out in 60 classrooms in 49 schools in 25 California school districts provided data on district and school microcomputer policies; classroom contexts; and teachers' characteristics, instructional decisions, and practices. Analyses of these data indicated that district and school characteristics and classroom organization and composition did not differ, by and large, among male and female teachers. Furthermore, gender was unrelated to teachers' subject matter and computer knowledge, patterns of microcomputer-based instruction, and instructional decisions and practices. Both female and male teachers provide leadership in the microcomputer movement, have the relevant training and experience that contributes to microcomputer use, use microcomputers for instruction in a variety of ways, and present equally viable role models. (Author/DJR)

This paper presents a meta-analysis study that addresses gender differences in student attitudes toward mathematics for the years 1970 to 1995. A body of 96 primary studies were used including 30,490 students (15,877 female and 14,613 males), 69 journal articles, and 27 ERIC documents in the analysis. The major conclusion of this study is that gender differences in student attitudes toward mathematics do exist but are small. Males are favored, indicating more positive attitudes toward mathematics. (Contains 60 references and 16 tables.) (ASK)

To add to previous research on gender differences in mathematics ability and achievement, this study was designed to investigate gender differences in problem-solving strategies for two extended constructed-response mathematics questions in grade 3. It is a followup to a study of gender differences on constructed-response and multiple-choice items from the Delaware state assessment program. A sample of over 300 Delaware students completed tasks from the state's assessment program. A sorting guideline was used for sorting student responses, based on current research on children's thinking in the pertinent content area and also on the variety of strategies apparent in a sample of student work. The results of analyzing student response to one task, the "Eggs" task, demonstrate an interesting pattern in that more boys than girls used the most sophisticated approach, yet more boys overall were unsuccessful at accomplishing the task. The girls were more likely to use a visual, more concrete approach, and many more girls than boys did not give sufficient explanation for the strategy used to solve the problem. The results from the "Jellybean" task show that more boys (11%) than girls (7%) used the "Level B" approach, one of the sophisticated approaches, to the task. Other than that, no significant gender-specific differences in strategies were used to solve this problem. It is reasonable to say that gender differences in strategies used might have been masked by other factors such as item difficulty. The questions and their rubrics, the sorting guidelines for both tasks, and samples of student responses to both tasks are attached. (Contains 5 tables and 10 references.) (Author/SLD)

The paper investigated gender difference in achievement goals and performance in English Language and Mathematics of senior secondary schools students in Borno State, Nigeria. The study specifically sought to determine gender differences in students' academic performances in English Language, Mathematics and overall academic performance as well as the effects of gender on these differences in performance if any. The study was based on the 'A Hierarchical Model of Approach and Avoidance Achievement Goals Motivation' propounded by Elliot and Church (1997). The study used Correlational design with a sample of 827 (414 boys and 413) students selected via stratified random sampling form 18 schools across the state. "A Hierarchical Model of Approach and Avoidance Achievement Goals Motivation" Scale was used to measure achievement goals, tests in English and Mathematics were used to measure achievement measures in the two subjects domains while the aggregate of average scores in the two tests was used to measure overall academic performance. The instruments were administered to the participants in a classroom seating position and collected on the sport and the data was analyzed using MANOVA. The results revealed that males performed significantly better than females in English Language and overall academic performance but there is no gender difference in Mathematics performance; and there is significant effect of gender on students' learning goal orientation in faviour of males, whereas there are no gender effects on performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals orientation of students. The implications of the study for education and research were highlighted.

While gender differences in mathematics achievement and attitudes overall have been declining during the past two decades, there still exists a disparity in advanced mathematics achievement and upper-level mathematics course-taking patterns that contributes to fewer females than males choosing professions in math, science, and technology fields. This study used a secondary analysis of the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 database (NELS:88) and Walberg's Educational Productivity Model to determine whether the Productivity Factors in the model operated differently for males and females. Productivity Factors from the eighth grade NELS:88 database were used to model the twelfth grade outcomes related to achievement testing, coursework, and attitude toward mathematics. Multiple and logistic regression analyses were run to examine the relationship of the Productivity Factors with the mathematics achievement (testing and coursework) and attitude outcomes. In order to accommodate the complex survey design of the NELS:88 database, the data analysis was done using Sudaan. Findings indicate that a number of the Productivity Factors are significantly related to the achievement and attitude outcomes and appear to operate differently for males and females. Suggestions for further research and implications for parents and educators focus on the significant Productivity Factors which can possibly be modified through intervention or training, i.e., what Walberg calls the "alterable curriculum." These include the motivational factors of expectancy for success, locus of control, and perceived usefulness of mathematics, as well as parental aspirations, classroom environment, peer influences, and television viewing patterns. (Contains 28 references.) (Author/ASK)

The study examines whether the use of LEGO® to train spatial skills (the "SPAtial Cognition to Enhance mathematical learning (SPACE)" intervention) impacts mental rotation, spatial language and mathematics skills differently based on school-based socioeconomic status (SES), gender, and the interaction between these two factors.

A study was conducted at the University of Maine at Orono (UMO) to examine gender differences with respect to mathematical problem-solving ability, visual spatial ability, abstract reasoning ability, field independence/dependence, independent learning style, and developmental problem-solving ability (i.e., formal reasoning ability). Subjects included 27 females and 48 males from two-year programs at UMO who had finished or tested out of a developmental algebra course in 1980-81. Subjects received a multiple-choice test of algebraic concepts and paper and pencil tests assessing various abilities and characteristics. A three-stage analysis of the scores revealed the following: (1) males did better than females in the algebraic concepts test; (2) females had more independent learning styles; (3) although the three tests with a spatial or figural component were significantly correlated with problem solving, one of the tests showed no gender differences at all and the other revealed differences less than the differences on the problem-solving tests; and (4) tests of the level of formal reasoning ability tended to produce higher results among males. The study report details methodology, limitations, and findings; provides suggestions for further research; and considers implications for instruction. Data tables and sample test items are appended. (KL)

As technical and scientific innovation continue to drive the global economy, educators, policymakers, and scientists seek to promote students' interest and achievement in the STEM fields to maintain the nation's competitive position (National Academy of Sciences 2006; National Science Board 2007; President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology 2012). Many researchers have studied differences in male and female students' attitudes toward and performance in STEM courses and assessments. While some research shows that gaps in male and female performance on STEM-related assessments have narrowed or even closed (Lindberg et al. 2010), other research continues to report gender differences in student affective dispositions (i.e., interest) toward mathematics and science, as well as differences in student performance in mathematics and science, especially in math-intensive science fields (Ceci et al. 2014; White House Council on Women and Girls 2011). This "Statistics in Brief" describes high school graduates' attitudes toward STEM courses (specifically, mathematics and science), credits earned in STEM fields, and performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics and science assessments in 2009. This brief uses data from two sources to investigate the research questions. The first is the 2009 NAEP High School Transcript Study (HSTS), conducted in conjunction with the 2009 NAEP assessment administration. Data for this brief also come from the 2009 NAEP Grade 12 Mathematics and Science Student Questionnaires, which collected information from students on their classroom experiences and educational support. The following are appended: (1) Data Tables; and (2) Standard Error Tables.

The literature is rich with studies investigating gender differences in math, science, and technology. While some inequities have been evidenced and studied for years, we are still finding out many new sources of gender bias in the classroom. That girls think and learn differently as well as interact with equipment differently from boys is a major key to beginning to understanding how best to educate girls in math, science and technological areas in order to encourage their continuation in these areas as career fields. Suggestions for strategies and interventions for rethinking gender biases in the classroom and professional organizations are presented. (Contains 29 references.) (Author/YDS)

International comparisons in educational research can be difficult to accomplish because the findings of individual countries may not be comparable due to study design or inherent country features that cannot be manipulated. Quantitative meta-analysis techniques have great potential in improving international comparisons. In this paper, participant countries/regions in an international study were treated as study populations, and meta-analytic techniques were used to synthesize study outcomes across countries. Homogeneity tests were conducted to determine whether there was a common population parameter across countries, outliers were identified empirically, moderator effects die to country characteristics were studied, and homogeneous country outcomes were combined by a variance-weighting method to yield an optimal parameter estimate. The study of interest in this paper was gender differences in students' perceptions about whether girls or boys will do better in mathematics. Data are a subset of data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), in which seventh- and eighth-graders from 25 countries participated. Multiple regression models were used to country-level analyses, and effect sizes were computed. Overall, the meta-analytic techniques were satisfactory in analyzing the TIMSS data, illustrating the potential of meta analysis in improving the validity of international comparison studies. Meta analysis appears to be capable of detecting substantial differences in country outcomes and effective in offering strategies to deal with the situation. Appendixes present tables of coding schemes and outcomes of moderators, independent variables and questionnaire items, and a summary of meta analytic results. (Contains 7 tables, 8 figures, and 20 references.) (SLD)

International comparisons in educational research can be difficult to accomplish because the findings of individual countries may not be comparable due to study design or inherent country features that cannot be manipulated. Quantitative meta-analysis techniques have great potential in improving international comparisons. In this paper, participant countries/regions in an international study were treated as study populations, and meta-analytic techniques were used to synthesize study outcomes across countries. Homogeneity tests were conducted to determine whether there was a common population parameter across countries, outliers were identified empirically, moderator effects die to country characteristics were studied, and homogeneous country outcomes were combined by a variance-weighting method to yield an optimal parameter estimate. The study of interest in this paper was gender differences in students' perceptions about whether girls or boys will do better in mathematics. Data are a subset of data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), in which seventh- and eighth-graders from 25 countries participated. Multiple regression models were used to country-level analyses, and effect sizes were computed. Overall, the meta-analytic techniques were satisfactory in analyzing the TIMSS data, illustrating the potential of meta analysis in improving the validity of international comparison studies. Meta analysis appears to be capable of detecting substantial differences in country outcomes and effective in offering strategies to deal with the situation. Appendixes present tables of coding schemes and outcomes of moderators, independent variables and questionnaire items, and a summary of meta analytic results. (Contains 7 tables, 8 figures, and 20 references.) (SLD)

This investigation, part of an on-going research program examining social learning theory applications to career development, tested several hypotheses derived from A. Bandura's self-efficacy theory in the career-related domain of mathematics. Specifically, the effects of failure on a mathematics task and on a task irrelevant to mathematics were explored. Findings indicate that, congruent with theoretical expectations, measures of mathematics self-efficacy (MSE) expectations of females were not influenced by verbal-task failure; however, contrary to predictions, MSE expectations of males rose significantly higher as a result of verbal-task failure. For the mathematics-task failure condition, again counter to expectations, females' MSE rose while males' MSE was not significantly affected. No task-failure effect was found on a global rating of subjects' mathematics ability. Findings for a global verbal ability rating were partly consistent with predictions; all subjects responded to verbal-task failure with a decrease in verbal ability ratings. Unexpectedly, subjects in the mathematics-failure condition significantly increased their ratings of their verbal ability on posttest, indicating that the effects of failure had a facilitating, rather than a debilitating influence on self-efficacy with respect to a task irrelevant domain. Implications of these results for future career-related self-efficacy research are discussed. (Author/JN)

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether gender accounts for student differences in performance and achievement in mathematics. Data for the study were drawn from the Second International Mathematics Study (SIMS) of seventh and eighth grade students from Japan, Belgium, Canada (British Columbia and Ontario), France, the United States, New Zealand, and Thailand. Students were tested on the same mathematical items and problems. Results indicated no substantial gender effects or differences in any of the mathematics content areas, problem types, or national origins. Other studies suggested that curricula, pedagogies, or cultural factors may interact with gender differences in impacting quantitative performance. Tables and 21 references are included. (JHP)

This is a pre-registration of a secondary analysis of the TALIS Video Study Germany 2018 data. The goal of this study is to examine the relationship between gender and student motivational outcomes, as well as the moderating role of student perceptions of teacher constructive support in secondary school mathematics.

With enrolment and completion rates in the University of Newcastle's online Open Foundation enabling program being considerably higher for women than for men, this case study investigates the engagement of male and female students in two different subject areas. History and Mathematics students' online behaviour is examined to identify whether they differ and if there is a correlation between time spent online and student results. Is low-level, or no online interaction a problem or does it differ for the two genders, and the two subjects? It is generally accepted that women engage more but does this lead to higher results for them? Students do not always appreciate how different the world of online learning is, and, in addition, some experience difficulties in understanding how to use Blackboard effectively. By examining students' online engagement we seek to identify the behaviours that lead to retention of students and ultimately to their successful completion of the program.

As part of the new Victorian Certificate of Education, the state of Victoria, Australia, implemented changes to secondary mathematics courses in order to cater to the needs and aspirations of all students by using a variety of teaching and assessment strategies. The first year that the changes were fully implemented for grade 12 was 1992. A statistical analysis examined the influence of locale (rural versus urban) and sex of student on mean achievement on the various Common Assessment Tasks (CATs). There were 6 mathematics subjects in year 12, attended by 19,413 females and 22,567 males, for which there were four CATs. CATs 1 and 2 required the students to communicate their findings in written reports, were assessed within the school by their teacher, and were performed over an extended period of time. CATs 3 and 4 were multiple-choice and extended-answer examinations respectively, and were marked externally. Findings indicate that females were not as disadvantaged in mathematics assessment as they had been in earlier mathematics courses in Victoria. The largest disadvantage for females occurred in terms of participation, particularly in advanced mathematics courses. Females generally performed better than males in CATs 1 and 2, and males generally performed better than females in CATs 3 and 4. There was a significant regional effect in that rural students, particularly males, performed worse than their metropolitan counterparts in CATs 1, 2, and 3. Implications concerning equality of opportunity and gender differences in test taking are discussed. Seventeen tables and four graphs depict data and results. (Contains 36 references.) (TD)

Recent studies [10, 23] using US nationwide databases showed high school boys spent significantly less time doing homework than girls, based on their responses to questionnaires and surveys. To investigate gender differences in homework in middle school, in this paper, we analyzed computer log data and standardized test scores of more than 1,000 7th grade students who participated in a large-scale randomized controlled online homework efficacy study. Students used the ASSISTments platform to do their homework for a school year. Our results suggested no significant difference between the time the two genders spent on homework overall. There was a marginally significant difference on homework time between genders in the high performing group only. When examining the system-student interaction data, we found significant difference between boys and girls in their help seeking behaviors. In addition, we found out that boys have benefited from the online homework intervention more than girls. [This paper was published in: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Educational Data Mining, June 29-July 2, 2016, Raleigh, NC. p364-369.]

This article is from Behavioral and Brain Functions : BBF , volume 8 . Abstract Background: Mathematics anxiety (MA), a state of discomfort associated with performing mathematical tasks, is thought to affect a notable proportion of the school age population. Some research has indicated that MA negatively affects mathematics performance and that girls may report higher levels of MA than boys. On the other hand some research has indicated that boys’ mathematics performance is more negatively affected by MA than girls’ performance is. The aim of the current study was to measure girls’ and boys’ mathematics performance as well as their levels of MA while controlling for test anxiety (TA) a construct related to MA but which is typically not controlled for in MA studies. Methods: Four-hundred and thirty three British secondary school children in school years 7, 8 and 10 completed customised mental mathematics tests and MA and TA questionnaires. Results: No gender differences emerged for mathematics performance but levels of MA and TA were higher for girls than for boys. Girls and boys showed a positive correlation between MA and TA and a negative correlation between MA and mathematics performance. TA was also negatively correlated with mathematics performance, but this relationship was stronger for girls than for boys. When controlling for TA, the negative correlation between MA and performance remained for girls only. Regression analyses revealed that MA was a significant predictor of performance for girls but not for boys. Conclusions: Our study has revealed that secondary school children experience MA. Importantly, we controlled for TA which is typically not controlled for in MA studies. Girls showed higher levels of MA than boys and high levels of MA were related to poorer levels of mathematics performance. As well as potentially having a detrimental effect on ‘online’ mathematics performance, past research has shown that high levels of MA can have negative consequences for later mathematics education. Therefore MA warrants attention in the mathematics classroom, particularly because there is evidence that MA develops during the primary school years. Furthermore, our study showed no gender difference in mathematics performance, despite girls reporting higher levels of MA. These results might suggest that girls may have had the potential to perform better than boys in mathematics however their performance may have been attenuated by their higher levels of MA. Longitudinal research is needed to investigate the development of MA and its effect on mathematics performance.

Although gender differences in mathematics are smaller than they have been in the past, prominent voices still attribute these differences to a variety of fixed individual factors, such as genetic characteristics of men and women. We hold the alternative view that these differences can be ultimately attributed to malleable factors. From this vantage, societies could influence gender differences in mathematics by changing students' experiences in school. In this study, we built on prior work suggesting that mathematics anxiety causes lower mathematics scores. In particular, we found that mathematics anxiety entirely explains the gender differences evident in mathematics scores from the 2012 US Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Furthermore, we found that gender moderates the mediating role of mathematics anxiety: math anxiety is more detrimental for male than for female students. Because math anxiety is a malleable individual characteristic, we conclude that gender differences reveal more about gendered societal experiences than they do about innate characteristics of men and women. [For the complete proceedings, see ED629884.]

Exploring why more boys than girls continue to study higher levels of mathematics in senior school when there appear to be no gender differences in achievement in earlier years is worthy of investigation. There are potentially many reasons why this occurs including career aspirations, interest, and attitudes. One factor explored in this study was the gender composition of classes in Years 7 to 9. Data were collected from students in a single-sex boy's school, a single-sex girl's school and a coeducational school. Data revealed differences in attitude to mathematics with girls in the single-sex school having the most positive attitudes and girls in the coeducation setting having the least positive attitudes.

With reports of declining enrolments in mathematics related degrees and low female participation rates in these degrees, the issue of gender differences in mathematics remains relevant. Results of recent studies suggest gender differences in mathematics are nuanced and that small differences in the early years can manifest as larger differences in later years. This study explores differences in teachers' ratings of children's achievement across a number of mathematical content domains. It is based on observations from the K-cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children in 2006, when the children were aged between six and seven, and in 2008, when they were aged between eight and nine. Gender differences in achievement are analysed using the Mantel-Haenszel procedure associated with the implementation of the Rasch model. Results indicate that teachers rate girls higher on tasks related to data, whereas they rate boys higher on tasks related to place-value and computation. Implications of these findings are discussed. [This study was funded as part of the Australian Government's Stronger Families and Communities Strategy by the Australian Government Department of Housing, Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA).]

Much research identifies a gender gap in mathematics and some research points to single-gender mathematics classrooms as a solution to the mathematics gender divide. A 7-week study was conducted in which 5th grade students (N=50) were organized into two mathematics classes. The goal was to examine whether single-gender mathematics classes had an effect on the achievement and attitudes of the female students. No statistical significance was noted in girls' achievement between a single-gender classroom and a coeducational classroom. (Contains 33 references.) (Author/DDR)

The purposes of this study were to: (1) identify interaction patterns that emerged during mathematics instruction in elementary school classrooms that established an "inquiry" mathematics tradition, (2) describe any gender-related differences in these patterns, and (3) attempt to account for the presence or absence of such differences. Preliminary analysis suggests that aspects of an inquiry approach to mathematics instruction may have had a positive impact in providing gender-equitable learning opportunities for boys and girls. (Author/MKR)

Since the 1960s, gender differences in mathematics performance have been a major topic in educational and mathematical research. This study entails a gender comparative analysis of students' mathematics performance as determined by the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and by the Tests of Achievement and Proficiency. In a public school system in rural Southwest Georgia, 1,172 students enrolled in Grades 1 through 10 took these tests. An analysis of variance found a significant difference in the total mathematics achievement scores between genders [F(1, 1171)=13.222, p

A quantitative observational study exploring the relationship of gender to mathematics self-efficacy and the frequency of back substitution in multiple-choice assessment sampled undergraduates at a western United States parochial university. Research questions addressed: to what extent are there gender differences in mathematics self-efficacy, as demonstrated on multiple-choice test items; and to what extent are there gender differences in the frequency of employing back substitution as an informed guessing strategy on multiple-choice test items? Instruments were (a) a representative multiple-choice test algebra equation, and (b) a mathematics self-efficacy survey accompanying a standardized multiple-choice algebra examination. While results revealed no significant gender differences in mathematics self-efficacy or back-substitution strategy, findings concerning testwise strategies application and learner performance accuracy can benefit educators. (Contains 4 tables and 5 figures.)