Performance Versus Objective Testing and Gender: An Exploratory Study of an Advanced Placement History Examination

Abstract

To explore a phenomenon of gender differences in Advanced Placement examina. tions, random samples of free-response test booklets were taken from the 1986 examination in U.S. History. These examinations were chosen because they consistently show significant gender differences in objective scores but no gender differences in free-response scores. A rescoring of the free responses was conducted that focused on their historical content. This rescoring was conducted by readers other than those who conducted the original scoring and involved tallies of specific historical points made, supporting evidence given, and factual errors. Ratings were also made of handwriting quality, neatness, and English composition quality of the free responses. Analyses conducted indicate that free-response tasks of the type examined may have inherent characteristics that reward English composition abilities, and that some females may compensate for inferior historical knowledge with superior English composition abilities.

Gender Differences in Large-Scale Math Assessments: PISA Trend 2000 and 2003

“…Through a follow-up interview, Perie found that females were more likely than males to use guessing or memorization strategies. Furthermore, other studies found that item format did not explain any of the gender differences in performance (Beller & Gafni, 1996;Breland, Danos, Kahn, Kubota, & Bonner, 1994). When the item format was altered, there was no associated change in math performance (Wester, 1995;Wester & Henriksson, 2000).…”

Site Distance, Gender, and Knowledge of Geographic Sites

“…Men are more likely to follow professional sports and thus are more familiar with large cities that sponsor professional teams; however, there is no apparent general association of professional sports and knowledge of international cities because American men probably do not follow international professional sports to any great extent, and yet in Experiment 3 men still knew more about international cities than did women. Greater knowledge of geography by men-cities, countries, continents, and bodies of water-also may relate to men's greater interest in and knowledge of history (Breland, Danos, Kahn, Kubota, & Bonner, 1994). Men know more about geography perhaps because they have greater interest in and knowledge about the emergence and demise of empires, about military campaigns, and about the significance of geography sites in world events, past and present.…”

AN ANALYSIS OF ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP®) EXAMINATIONS IN ECONOMICS AND COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

“…In fact, the differences for the free-response component are so small and inconsistent as to suggest that there is no real gender difference on this component of the examination. A gender pattern of AP Examination performance similar to this has been observed in AP Examinations in United States History and European History (Breland et al, 1994).…”

“…Mazzeo, Schmitt, and Bleistein (1990) analyzed several AP Examinations and showed that, more often than not, the gender differences on the multiple-choice portions of the examinations were larger than those on the freeresponse portions. Breland, Danos, Kahn, Kubota, and Sudlow (1991) and Breland, Danos, Kahn, Kubota, and Bonner (1994) explored gender differences for AP U.S. and European History Examinations and concluded that the free-response and multiple-choice portions of the examinations assessed different skills, but that these skills are important in history. It was suggested that the multiple-choice parts of the examinations assess a broad range of historical knowledge, while the free-response parts assess the ability to work with historical materials, most of which are in written form.…”