There has long been discussion on whether or not there are gender differences in
different academic areas, particularly mathematics. One fact that most researchers agree
on is that fewer females than males take upper-level mathematics courses beginning in
adolescence and continuing through college. As a result, many females severely restrict
their career options by failing to take courses in this area. This study views the subjective
task values in mathematics of 201 3rd and 5th grade students in a small community in the
upper plains region of the United States, and how those subjective task values relate to
students' indications of interest in taking advanced mathematics courses in the future.
While it was believed that gender differences would be found at each grade level as well
as overall, this was not the case. Small differences were found by gender, but not to a
degree of statistical significance. The major findings of the current research were of vast
differences between the grade levels themselves. Third grade students had much higher
scores on the Eccles-Wigfield Task Value Questionnaire, which was developed to
measure subjective task values in mathematics. Another interesting discovery was the
reasons students gave for these subjective task values. In general, boys tended to blame
factors outside of their control, while girls were more likely to blame themselves. Post-hoc
factor analysis of the survey questions indicated groupings consistent with those
previously identified by the survey's authors. / Graduation date: 2000
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/33157 |
| Date | 27 July 1999 |
| Creators | Conner, Daniel A. |
| Contributors | Engel, Joanne B. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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