ERIC Number: EJ765730
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 17
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1946
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Do Mathematical Gender Differences Continue? A Longitudinal Study of Gender Difference and Excellence in Mathematics Performance in the U.S.
Ding, Cody S.; Song, Kim; Richardson, Lloyd I.
Educational Studies: Journal of the American Educational Studies Association, v40 n3 p279-295 2007
A persistent belief in American culture is that males both outperform and have a higher inherent aptitude for mathematics than females. Using data from two school districts in two different states in the United States, this study used longitudinal multilevel modeling to examine whether overall performance on standardized as well as classroom tests reveals a gender difference in mathematics performance. The results suggest that both male and female students demonstrated the same growth trend in mathematics performance (as measured by standardized test scores) over time, but females' mathematics grade-point average is significantly higher than males. These results are discussed in the context of present day standardized assessment in the United States that may motivate teachers to focus on higher expectations for mathematics performance regardless of gender, thus challenging cultural beliefs that stigmatize mathematics as masculine in the United States.
Descriptors: Females, Standardized Tests, Males, Gender Differences, Academic Achievement, Mathematics Achievement, Longitudinal Studies, Educational Assessment, Teacher Expectations of Students, Elementary Secondary Education, Mathematics Instruction, Mathematical Aptitude, Grades (Scholastic), Mathematics Tests
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. 10 Industrial Avenue, Mahwah, NJ 07430-2262. Tel: 800-926-6579; Tel: 201-258-2200; Fax: 201-236-0072; e-mail: journals@erlbaum.com; Web site: http://www.LEAonline.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Authoring Institution: N/A
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