An Exploratory Study of Mathematics Test Results: What Is the Gender Effect

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF MATHEMATICS TEST RESULTS: WHAT IS THE GENDEREFFECT?

SimonGoodchild and BarbroGrevholm

Universityof Agder, Kristiansand, Norway

Appendix/ESM

Introduction

Further references providing an overview of research on gender and mathematics education:

Hanna, G. (Ed.). (1996). Towards gender equity in mathematics education. Dordrecht, Holland: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Leder, C. G., Forgasz, H. J., & Solar, C. (1996). Research and intervention programs in mathematics education: A gendered issue. In A. Bishop, K. Clements, K. Keitel, J. Kilpatrick, & C. Laborde (Eds.), International handbook of mathematics education. (pp 945-985). Dordrecht, Holland: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Keitel, C. (Ed.). (1998). Social justice and mathematics education: Gender, class, ethnicity and the politics of schooling. Berlin, Germany: Freie Universität Berlin.

Some examples of earlier research on differential performance in mathematical tests

Evidence from international studies:

Further reference for Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS):

Mullis, I. V., Martin, M. O., Fierros, E. G., Goldberg, A. L., & Stemler, S. E. (2000) Gender differences in achievement: IEA’s third international mathematics and science study (TIMSS). Boston MA: TIMSS International Study Center, Boston College.

Further reference for Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA):

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2001). Knowledge and skills for life. First results from PISA 2000. Paris: OECD Publications.

Specific issues related to this report

Reference to TIMSS 1995 results:

LCM Background

Further references for LCM background:

Andreassen, I. S. (2005). Innsikt i elevers kompetanser som vises i skriftlige matematikktester.Masteroppgave i matematikkdidaktikk [Insight into pupils’ competence as revealed in written mathematics tests. Unpublished master’s dissertation], Høgskolen i Agder,Kristiansand, Norway.

Jaworski, B. (2004). Insiders and outsiders in mathematics teaching development: The design and study of classroom activity. In O. Macnamara & R. Barwell (Eds.). Research in Mathematics Education:Papers of the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, 6, 3-22.

Jaworski, B. (2005). Learning communities in mathematics: Creating an inquiry community between teachers and didacticians. In R. Barwell & A. Noyes (Eds.), Research in Mathematics Education: Papers of the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, 7, 101-119.

Figure A 1. Interactive elements of the LCM Project.

Reproduced from Jaworski, B. (2005) LCM Workshop, Universityof Agder.

Method

Further references for results from the first test:

Hundeland, P. S., Breiteig, T., & Grevholm, B. (2005). Lærares oppfattninger om matematikkundervisning [Teachers’ conceptions of teaching mathematics].In I. M. Stedøy (Ed.), Vurdering i matematikk – Hvorfor og hvordan? Fra småskole til voksenopplæring. Konferenserapport no 3 – 2005 [Assessment in mathematics – why and how? From elementary school to adult eductaion: Conference report No.3 – 2005]. (pp.59-69). Trondheim, Norway: Nasjonal Senter for Matematikk i Oplæringen.

Kislenko, K., Breiteig, T., & Grevholm, B. (2005). Beliefs and attitudes in mathematics teaching and learning. In I. M. Stedøy (Ed.), Vurdering i matematikk – Hvorfor og hvordan? Fra småskole til voksenopplæring. Konferenserapport no 3 – 2005 [Assessment in mathematics – why and how? From elementary school to adult eductaion: Conference report No.3 – 2005]. (pp.129-138). Trondheim, Norway: Nasjonal Senter for Matematikk i Oplæringen.

Analysis and Results

Performance on individual questions

1c / 900  30 =
proportion of boys getting this correct = 0.91
proportion of girls getting this correct = 0.75
z = 3.397 p0.0006 (2 tail)
2 / Finn et tall med to desimaler som ligger mellom
(Find a number with two decimals that lies between)
4.755 og 4.762
proportion of boys getting this correct = 0.65
proportion of girls getting this correct = 0.40
z = 3.750 p0.0000 (2 tail)
5b / Skriv som desimaltall
(Write as a decimal number)
......
proportion of boys getting this correct = 0.81
proportion of girls getting this correct = 0.58
z = 3.896 p0.0000 (2 tail)
8b / Skriv riktig tall i ruta
(Write the correct number in the square)
14  = 0.25 · 14
proportion of boys getting this correct = 0.48
proportion of girls getting this correct = 0.23
z = 3.956 p0,0000 (2 tail)

Figure A 2. Questions from the grade 11 test which resulted in significant differences in performance between boys and girls.

Grade 11
n(boys) = 124, n(girls) = 110 / Grade 9
n(boys) = 43 n(girls) = 45 / Grade 7
n(boys) = 51 n(girls) = 63
8a14  2 = · 14
p(boys) = 0.69
p(girls) = 0.53
z = 2.609 p0.009 (2 tail) / 22a14  2 = · 14
p(boys) = 0.23
p(girls) = 0.18
z = 0.637 / 18a14  2 = · 14
p(boys) = 0.24
p(girls) = 0.03
z = 3.292 p0.001 (2 tail)
8b14 = 0.25 · 14
p(boys) = 0.48
p(girls) = 0.23
z = 3.956 p0.0000 (2 tail) / 22b14  = 0.25 · 14
p(boys) = 0.19
p(girls) = 0.09
z = 1.33 / 18b14  = 0.25 · 14
p(boys) = 0.10
p(girls) = 0.02
z = 1.953
8c15  10 =· 15
p(boys) = 0.48
p(girls) = 0.29
z = 3.016 p0.003 (2 tail) / 22c15  10 =· 15
p(boys) = 0.12
p(girls) = 0.07
z = 0.81
8d8  = 8 ·
p(boys) = 0.33
p(girls) = 0.20
z = 2.249 p0.024 (2 tail) / 22d8  0.5 = 8 ·
p(boys) = 0.12
p(girls) = 0.07
z = 0.81

Figure A 3. Performance of grade 11 boys and girls in question 8 with matching questions from other grades. Each question began with the root ‘Skriv riktig tall i ruta’ (Write the correct number in the square). In each part p(boys) and p(girls) are respectively the proportions of boys and girls getting the question correct.

Parts of Question 8 Correct
0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / Total
Boys / observed / 29 / 22 / 21 / 26 / 26 / 124
expected / 38.7 / 26.5 / 17.5 / 23.8 / 17.5
Girls / observed / 44 / 28 / 12 / 19 / 7 / 110
expected / 34.3 / 23.5 / 15.5 / 21.2 / 15.5
Total / 73 / 50 / 33 / 45 / 33 / 234

Table A 1 Contingency table comparing performance of grade 11 boys and girls over all four parts of question 8.

Confidence to attempt and take risks

8(b) / Not answered / Correct / Incorrect / Total
Boys / observed / 25 / 59 / 40 / 124
expected / 35.5 / 44.5 / 44.0
Girls / observed / 42 / 25 / 43 / 110
expected / 31.5 / 39.5 / 39.0
Total / 67 / 84 / 83 / 234

Table A 2 Contingency tablecomparing performance of grade 11 boys and girls over each part of question 8.

Discussion

Further reference relating to girls’ desire to understand what they are doing:

Staberg, E-M. (1992). Olika världar, skilda värderingar. Hur flickor och pojkar möter högstadiets fysik, kemi och teknik[Different worlds, different values: How do girls and boys encounter physics, chemistry and technology in lower secondary school]. Doctoral dissertation, Umeå universitet, Pedagogiska institutionen, Umeå, Sweden.