Gender Gap and Gendered Educati on: Myth or Reality?

Tatyana SumnerFall 2012ED.7201.T

Action Research Final Presentation

Table of Contents

• Statement of the Problem – slide 3• Proposed Intervention – slide 4• Literature Review – slide 5-9• Theories – slide 10• Hypothesis Statement – slide 11• Method – slide 12• Appendices – slide 13-15• References – slide 16-20

Statement of the Problem

• Living in a gendered society we learn that male and female are different in many aspects. From anatomical and psychological variations to socially imposed stereotypes, gender related issues can and often do affect our children’s education (Ridgeway & Correll, 2004; Risman,2004).

• There is a gross underrepresentation of women in math-related fields (Brandell & Staberg 2008; Leaper et al., 2012; Steffens, Jelenec, & Noack, 2010).

• Socially constructed stereotypes, such as “girls are not good at math,” unconsciously and habitually reflect in both the educator’s instructions and parental attitudes, which in turn can reflect in children’s achievement, self-confidence and attitude toward mathematics (Guderson, Ramirez, Levine & Beilock, 2012; Nosek, Banaji, & Greenwald, 2002; Tomasetto, Alparone, & Cadinu, 2011; Tracy & Lane, 2006).

Proposed Interventi on

• In order to attempt to create a change in the classroom, I believe that teachers should adjust instructional strategies to minimize bias treatment and reinforce heterogeneous, peer-learning environment.

• This proposal falls in opposition to single-sex education practices that were legalized by the “No Child Left Behind” act (Gurian, Stevens, & Daniels, 2009; Herrelko, Jeffries, & Robertson, 2009).

Gap or No Gap

• Gap exists in children’s academic achievement with boys

outperforming girls. Boys score above 600 on SATs 4 times more

often than girls (Ding, Song, & Richardson, 2006; Nosek et al., 2002).

• There is a statistically insignificant gap in test results between boys

and girls (Gunderson et al, 2012; You, 2010).

• Girls outperform boys in mathematics (Geist & King, 2008).

Literature Review

• Girls are less likely to pursue higher mathematics or math-related careers –

gender gap in attitude (Brandell & Staberg, 2008; Steffens, Jelenec, & Noack,

2010 James, 2007).

• Adhearing to gender stereotypes, girls associate themselves with literacy and

boys with mathematics Math = Male, Me = Female, Therefore Math ≠ Me

(Leaper, Farkas, & Brown, 2012, Nosek et al, 2002; Steffens et al., 2010).

• Girls attribute success to luck or hard work rather than talent (Steffens et al.,

2010; Stetsenko, Little, Gordeeva, Grasshof, & Oettingen, 2000).

Math attitudes

Literature Review

• Mathematics gender differences are genetic (Cambell, Verna, & O’Connor-Petruso; James, 2007, You, 2010).

• Mathematics gender differences are cognitive (Geary, Saults, Liu, & Hoard, 2000; Moe, 2012)

• Mathematics gender differences are result of diverse socialization (Cvencek, Meltzoff, & Greenwald, 2011; Ding et al., 2006; Gool et al., 2006; Kane & Mertz, 2011; Nosek et al., 2012; You 2010).

• Parental and teachers’ attitudes toward gender biases and math anxieties affect children’s perceptions of their own achievements (Beilock, Gunderson, Ramirez and Levine (2010); Eccels, Jackobs, and Harold, 1990; Gunderson et al, 2012).

• Mathematics gender differences are result of equal amounts of biological and social factors (Cambell et al, 2004; Pearce, 2003; Spinath, Spinath, & Plomin, 2008).

Nature vs. Nurture

Literature Review

• Stereotype threat is a fear of one’s performance being judged based on socially constructed, negative stereotype (Shapiro & Williams, 2012; Spencer, Steele, & Quinn, 1999; Tomasetto, Alparone, & Cadinu, 2011).

• Women underperform when exposed to stereotype threat (Schmader, Johns, & Forbes, 2008; Shapiro & Williams, 2012; Spencer et al., 1999).

• Parental endorsement or rejection of gender stereotypes affect students’ vulnerability or resistance to stereotype threat (Tomasetto et al., 2011).

Stereotypes and Stereotype Threat

Literature Review

Proposed Solutions for Gender Inequality

Literature Review

• Educating teachers about gender bias and assisting them in recognizing signs in their own behavior (Tracy & Lane, 1999).

• Differentiated instruction. Students should be taught in accordance with cognitive gender differences (Geist & King, 2008; James, 2007).

• Single-gender classes. Students can benefit when genders are segregated and instruction can be adjusted according to each gender’s learning and behavioral differences (Gurian, Stevens, & Daniels, 2009; Herrelco, Jeffries, & Robertson, 2008).

• Students should be taught to work together in peer-assisted and cooperative learning environments (Kroeger & Kouche, 2006; Kuntz, McLaughlin, & Howard, 2001; Sparks, 2012; Tournaki & Criscitiello, 2003).

• Provide girls with female role-models, support against stereotype threat and encouragement in their abilities (Gool et al., 2007; Shapiro & Williams, 2012).

Theories

• Stereotype Threats – a psychological fear of being judged based on a negative stereotype creates extra stress that disrupts and undermines women’s performance in the circumstances. This theory has been applied to education and gendered mathematics stereotypes. (Shapiro & Williams, 2012; Spencer et al., 1998; Tomasetto et al., 2011 )

• Nature and Nurture - While there was a lot of debate whether biological or social difference attribute to educational gaps in children’s academics, Robert Plomin proposed that both elements, nature and nurture, must have equal or near-equal contribution to the differences observed in the development and educational studies. (Campbell, Verna, & O’Connor-Petruso, 2004; Pearce, 2003; Spinath, Spinath, & Plomin, 2008 )

Hypotheses Statements

1. By creating teams of two (1 boy and 1 girl) during mathematics instruction

for the duration of the whole day, twice a week, for the period of 10

weeks, in a classroom of 12 students (6 boys, 6 girls) in an elementary

school of Brooklyn, NY, will improve girls’ attitudes toward mathematics.

2. By creating teams of two (1 boy and 1 girl) during mathematics instruction

for the duration of the whole day, twice a week, for the period of 10

weeks, in a classroom of 12 students (6 boys, 6 girls) in an elementary

school of Brooklyn, NY, will improve girls’ tests scores in mathematics.

• A small group of 2nd grade students, 6 boys and 6 girls, with an average age of 7 years old who attend elementary school X in Brooklyn, New York.

Participants

Method

Instruments

• Initial math exam• Initial questionnaire• End-of-study math exam• End-of-study questionnaire

• Cooperative pair-activity lesson plans • Instructions• Manipulatives• Exercise

Dear Parent/Guardian, I am currently a student at Brooklyn College in the process of completing a Childhood Education Masters Program. As part of our curriculum, I am conducting an action research to determine possible beneficial effects of peer-assisted and co-educational learning instructional strategies on achievement in and attitude toward mathematics among boys and girls. Therefore, I am requesting your permission to have your child participate in the implementation of aforementioned instructional strategies and to use your child’s data that is relative to the research. All instruction will be administered during your child’s regular classroom time, following the scheduled curriculum objectives. Students will be given a mathematics test and a survey before and after implementation of the new instructional strategies. Data collected from these sources will be reported as group findings; therefore, all participants’ names and other information will remain anonymous. Additionally, at the end of the research I will gladly provide final results upon request. If you have any additional questions or concerns please feel free to contact me by email vedmochka81@gmail.com Thank you in advance for your support! Sincerely,Tatyana Sumner I agree to my child, ________________________________________, participating in the action research described above.

(student’s name) I do NOT agree to my child, __________________________________________, participating in the action research descried above.

(student’s name) Signature of Parent/Guardian ______________________________________ Date _________

Parental Consent FormAppendix A:

Dear Principal,

I am currently a student at Brooklyn College in the process of completing a Childhood Education Masters Program. As part of our curriculum, I am conducting an action research to determine possible beneficial effects of peer-assisted and co-educational learning instructional strategies on achievement in and attitude toward mathematics among boys and girls. Therefore, I am requesting your permission to use one fourth-grade classroom in your school to implement the aforementioned instructional for the duration of the research.

All instruction will be administered during regular classroom time, following the scheduled curriculum objectives. Modified instruction will take place 3 times a week for the period of 6 weeks. Students will be given a mathematics test and a survey before and after implementation of the new instructional strategies. Data collected from these sources will be reported as group findings; therefore, all participants’ names and other information will remain anonymous. Additionally, at the end of the research I will gladly provide final results upon request. If you have any additional questions or concerns please feel free to contact me by email vedmochka81@gmail.com Thank you in advance for your support! Sincerely,Tatyana Sumner I, _______________________________________________, give permission to Tatyana Sumner to use one (1) fourth-grade classroom for the action research as described above. Signature of Principal ________________________________________ Date ______________

Principal’s Consent FormAppendix B :

Dear Teacher, I am currently a student at Brooklyn College in the process of completing a Childhood Education Masters Program. As part of our curriculum, I am conducting an action research to determine possible beneficial effects of peer-assisted and co-educational learning instructional strategies on achievement in and attitude toward mathematics among boys and girls. Therefore, I am requesting your participation and cooperation to implement the aforementioned instructional strategies in your classroom for the duration of the research. All instruction will be administered during regular classroom time, following the scheduled curriculum objectives. Modified instruction will take place 3 times a week for the period of 7 weeks. Students will be given a mathematics test and a survey before and after implementation of the new instructional strategies. Data collected from these sources will be reported as group findings; therefore, all participants’ names and other information will remain anonymous. Additionally, at the end of the research I will gladly provide final results upon request. If you have any additional questions or concerns please feel free to contact me by email vedmochka81@gmail.com Thank you in advance for your support! Sincerely,Tatyana Sumner I, _______________________________________________, agree to participate in the action research as described above. Signature of Teacher _________________________________________ Date ______________

Teacher’s Consent FormAppendix C :

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The End