Attitudes of gifted boys and girls towards math: A qualitative study

Cramer, Roxanne H.

doi:10.1080/02783198909553187

“…Although previous researchers in science education have identified gender as a significant moderating variable in the attitude-behavior relationship (Cramer, 1989;Eccles, 1985;Mason & Kahle, 1989;Ray, 1990), this study did not provide such support.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 73%

Factors associated with students' intentions to engage in science learning activities

Butler

¹

1999

J. Res. Sci. Teach.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The determinants of fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth graders' intentions to perform science learning activities were investigated. Ajzen and Fishbein's theory of reasoned action was used to assess students (n ϭ 254) on their laboratory and nonlaboratory behavioral intentions, which required using the two determinants included in the theory (attitude toward the behavior and subjective norm) as well as five external variables identified by the researcher. The five external variables were gender, grade, race/ ethnicity, socioeconomic status as determined by the range of the family's annual income, and attitude toward science. Two models were tested. The first model included the two determinants as predictor variables and behavioral intention as the criterion. The second model involved the analysis of the two determinants as they were considered in subgroups according to the five external variables. This model also included interaction terms. For laboratory learning activities, the two determinants (attitude toward behavior and subjective norm) were found to contribute collectively to the prediction of behavioral intention, accounting for almost a fourth of the variance. For nonlaboratory learning activities, the two determinants accounted for over a fourth of the variance in behavioral intention. Testing of the second model revealed that for both laboratory and nonlaboratory behavioral intentions, no interaction terms were significant. The results of post hoc tests on significant predictors of behavioral intentions for laboratory and nonlaboratory activities are reported. Implications of this study on future research are also discussed.

show abstract

“…Gender was the other external variable that was not significant in the prediction of either laboratory or nonlaboratory behavioral intentions. Although previous researchers in science education have identified gender as a significant moderating variable in the attitude-behavior relationship (Cramer, 1989;Eccles, 1985;Mason & Kahle, 1989;Ray, 1990), this study did not provide such support.…”

Section: Behavioral Intentionscontrasting

confidence: 96%

Factors associated with students' intentions to engage in science learning activities

Butler

¹

1999

J. Res. Sci. Teach.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The determinants of fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth graders' intentions to perform science learning activities were investigated. Ajzen and Fishbein's theory of reasoned action was used to assess students (n ϭ 254) on their laboratory and nonlaboratory behavioral intentions, which required using the two determinants included in the theory (attitude toward the behavior and subjective norm) as well as five external variables identified by the researcher. The five external variables were gender, grade, race/ ethnicity, socioeconomic status as determined by the range of the family's annual income, and attitude toward science. Two models were tested. The first model included the two determinants as predictor variables and behavioral intention as the criterion. The second model involved the analysis of the two determinants as they were considered in subgroups according to the five external variables. This model also included interaction terms. For laboratory learning activities, the two determinants (attitude toward behavior and subjective norm) were found to contribute collectively to the prediction of behavioral intention, accounting for almost a fourth of the variance. For nonlaboratory learning activities, the two determinants accounted for over a fourth of the variance in behavioral intention. Testing of the second model revealed that for both laboratory and nonlaboratory behavioral intentions, no interaction terms were significant. The results of post hoc tests on significant predictors of behavioral intentions for laboratory and nonlaboratory activities are reported. Implications of this study on future research are also discussed.

show abstract

“…Feldhusen, 1998;Eccles, Adler, & Kaczala, 1982;Eccles, Adler, & Meece, 1984;Li & Adamson, 1995). Marsh and Yeung additionally reported that girls have lower math self-concepts as well as lower mathematics scores on standardized achievement tests, despite having higher math school grades (see also Cramer, 1989;Kimball, 1989). Additionally, Eccles (1987) found that boys systematically rated their mathemat ical abilities, their expectations of success in mathematics, and the usefulness of math higher than did girls, even though there were no gender differences on objective measures of math performance.…”

Section: Self-perceptions Of Ability and Subject Preferencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Differences among Elementary School-Aged Gifted Students in Achievement, Perceptions of Ability, and Subject Preference

Olszewski‐Kubilius

¹

,

Turner

²

2002

Journal for the Education of the Gifted

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Previous research suggests that, while gender differences on standardized tests among high school-aged students have diminished, they persist among academically gifted students. This study examined patterns of gender differences for younger, elementary school-aged gifted students. Results showed that, on an offlevel achievement test, males outperformed females in mathematics beginning in grade 3, although effect sizes were small. The ratio of males to females achieving very high scores on the mathematics subtest was 2:1, but this difference was only significant among 5th and 6th graders. Both males and females had a preference for mathematics over other subjects. More girls perceived their academic strengths to be in verbal areas, while most boys perceived theirs to be in mathematics and science. Girls' and boys' perceptions of their academic strengths corresponded to their actual performance on the off-level test. Tested abilities also corresponded to students' choice of easiest and most challenging subject.

show abstract

Attitudes of gifted boys and girls towards math: A qualitative study

Cited by 12 publications

References 7 publications

Factors associated with students' intentions to engage in science learning activities

Factors associated with students' intentions to engage in science learning activities

Factors associated with students' intentions to engage in science learning activities

Gender Differences among Elementary School-Aged Gifted Students in Achievement, Perceptions of Ability, and Subject Preference

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About