Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

The Gender Achievement Gap for

Females in Math: Single Gender
Classrooms vs. Mixed Gender
Classrooms

Jennifer Casagranda
Maggie Dickman
University of Colorado Denver

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

Abstract
Using data from first, third and fifth grade female students within single gender and
mixed gender classrooms the researcher hope to uncover whether the gender achievement gap in
math is lower within single gender classrooms compared to mixed gender classrooms and is
there a more positive self-perception of success in math within a single gender classroom.
Through second hand research it has been proven that a gender achievement gap exists in math
for females beginning in elementary school. It has also been discovered that this gap exists in
large part due to societal stereotypes, norms and assumptions of females in mathematics. This
study did not find conclusive evidence that single gender classrooms are more beneficial for
females growth in math, however it did find that growth decreases over time as students get
older. Further areas for research are suggested to extend and improve upon this research to be
able to more conclusively deduce whether single gender classrooms do seem to improve
achievement.

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

The Gender Achievement Gap for

Females in Math: Single Gender
Classrooms vs. Mixed Gender
Classrooms
Introduction
As female teachers working with elementary school students, the goal is to set all of them
up for success regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status etc. Most professional
development focuses around the discrepancies that are prevalent in schools that have diverse
populations. While this is highly important to recognize and combat, gender is equally an issue
that needs to be addressed due to the long-term implications for our female students. The
researchers both work in Charter schools in low income neighborhoods within Denver and
surrounding areas. One works within a K-5 school with mixed gender classrooms while the
other works in a K-8 school that utilizes single gender classrooms in order to bring about the
proposed revolution of learning. Given previous research, the researchers are aware of the
gender achievement gaps that exist for females in mathematics and took this opportunity to
explore whether this gap can be decreased given a single gender environment.
Literature Review

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

Gender achievement gaps are proven to exist in all subject areas for students beginning at
a young age. While these gaps start out minor, they increase exponentially as students continue
throughout school. Given previous research with regards to gender achievement gaps in math,
This study confirms that there is no overall gender gap in math achievement as students begin
kindergarten By first grade, a math gender gap favoring males appears in the standardized and
scale scores, math being the most detrimental long-termThe math gap then continues to widen
between first and third grades, spreading throughout the achievement distribution. This gap
holds steady from third to fifth grade at about 0.24 SDs. However, teachers ratings do not match
this gap, and even by fifth grade, teachers do not rate males higher than females. (Robinson,
Lubienski 2011 p.294).
Gender disparities among the highest-achieving students appear to have implications for
later career choices. Over the past decade, women earned only 18% of engineering bachelors
degrees (Dey & Hill, 2007). The latest U.S. census data indicate that women who work full time
still earn only 77% of mens salaries, or 69% when comparing men and women 10 years out of
college. (Robinson, Lubienski 2011 p.294).
As discussed, this achievement gap widens overtime. Researchers have found that this is
largely influenced by peer and self-perception in regards to gender roles and abilities when it
comes to math. As female students develop and become more cognizant of societies gender
roles expected of them, their achievement in math continues to decrease. We might then expect
gender differences and perceived achievement to increase with years at school on the grounds
that older students are exposed to a longer period of sex role socialization. (Bornholt, et al
1994 p.677). Given all this information, the researchers of this study hope to uncover if this is as
prevalent in single gender classrooms and if it increases overtime. They hope to find out if the

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

gender achievement gap in math is lower within a single gender classroom compared to mixed
gender classroom and is this influenced by self-perception?
Methods
The female researchers conducting this study will use math benchmark assessment data
from the fall and the winter for first, third and fifth grades within both of our schools. These
benchmarks assess students based on their math skills and rate them as beginning, developing or
accomplished. The first test was administered within the first couple weeks of school and the
second was given halfway through the school year. This will provide statistical data for mixed
gender classrooms and single gender classrooms in terms of academic achievement as well as the
growth overtime.
The female researchers conducting this study will review this data by examining the
median growth or loss percentages for females in first, third and fifth grade classrooms in math
from the fall to the winter. The data will be compared side by side for females in single gender
classrooms and those in mixed gender classrooms. The data will show the percentage of growth
in each grade and the researchers will compare these results between schools. They will also
look to see if the achievement gap is widening at a slower rate within single gender classrooms.
The female researchers conducting this study will also conduct student surveys with
regards to self-perception of gender roles in school and mathematical achievement. By gathering
this quantitative information, we will have better insight as to whether these perceived sex
roles play a significant part in mathematical achievement. We will use a scale system to
objectify answers so as to keep from inaccurately depicting our students perceptions.

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

The following questions were used on the survey to discover girls feelings toward math. First,
students were asked how much they liked math. It has been shown that by enjoying subject matter,
students will be more engaged and invested in the class, which will hopefully lead to greater success. For
this reason, the researchers wanted to see how girls felt towards math in both mixed gender and single
gender classrooms. Students were then asked how successful they felt in math. Just like the correlation
between enjoying a subject and being successful, it has been shown that if a student feels comfortable in a
subject, it is easier to find success in that subject. Next, the students were asked about their comfort in
terms of asking for help in math. This question was put in place for a couple of reasons. In previous
studies, researchers found that girls often times felt shy or embarrassed to ask for help, sometimes due to
the norm that was in place in the class that girls shouldnt need to ask for help. In the study that was done
around gendered achievement gaps, most teachers reported that they believed their female students to be
more successful in school. Because of this inherent belief, teachers focused their attention on the boys
more often, even if this wasnt necessarily needed: if teachers perceive males as needing additional
support to catch up to females, then the extra attention could give males an added advantage. Prior studies
of teachers special education referrals suggest that teachers assessments of students cognitive abilities
are influenced by how well students behave. This study may suggest that the math struggles for females,
who may be socialized to be less disruptive in class, might be more often ignored (Robinson, Lubienski,
297). Because of the findings from this previous research, the researchers on this study wanted to discover
if these gendered stereotypes played into the classrooms being studied and if girls really did feel more
uncomfortable asking for help. Finally, the researchers wanted to see how the students felt about girls v.
boys success in math. They were asked both how boys perform in math as well as girls. This again goes
back to the self-confidence question, but on a greater scale. Historically, boys have been seen as the more
logic/ math based minds while girls have been seen as more of the emotional/ reading and writing based
minds. The researchers wanted to discover if these stereotypes held true in the different classrooms, and if
so, if they had an impact on success.

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

Survey to be used to gather data on student perceptions of math

How much do you like math?
Not very much
1

A little bit

I dont care

I like it

I love it

I feel successful
4

I am the best in
math
5

How successful do you feel in math?

Not at all

A little bit

I dont know

If you are confused, how comfortable do you feel asking your teacher for help?
Not at all

A little bit

I dont ask

I feel
comfortable
4

I ask for help a

lot
5

I dont know
3

Pretty good
4

The best in math

5

I dont know
3

Pretty good
4

The best in math

5

How good are boys at math?

Not good

A little good
2

1
How good are girls at math?
Not good

A little good
2

Finally, the female researchers conducting this study will be able to analyze whether a
mixed gender or single gender environment provides a more beneficial environment for female
mathematicians by comparing the data from both schools.

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

Data analysis and Results

Mixed gender classroom data

Growth in math for females in mixed gender

classrooms
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Fall mastery
First grade

Winter mastery
Third grade

Fifth grade

This graph shows the growth for female students in a mixed gender classroom in math
from the fall math benchmark assessment to the winter math benchmark assessment.

The

assessment consisted of six different categories that students are expected to show mastery in by
the end of the year. Students are graded on a scale of beginning, developing and mastering in
each of these areas. From there, the researchers were able to compute the overall percentage of
growth for the 25 students surveyed and compare that fall mastery growth to their winter
mastery.

The 26% of the first grade students in mixed gender classrooms showed mastery on

the assessment in the fall. 55% of the students showed mastery by winter for an overall
percentage growth of 29%. 1%of the third grade females within mixed gender classrooms
showed mastery on the fall benchmarks and 59% showed mastery on the winter benchmarks for
a percentage growth of 58%. Finally, 13% of fifth grade females showed mastery on the fall
benchmark assessment while only 8% showed mastery on the winter benchmark for a loss of

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

growth of -5%. It is clear from this data that mastery increased significantly for first and third
graders while the fifth grade girls went down in their overall mastery.

Third grade math perceptions in a mixed

gender classroom
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

Not at all
A little
I dont know/care
How much
How
IF you are How good How good
do you like successful confused, are boys at are girls at
math
do you feel
how
math
math
in math comfortable
are you
asking for
help

Pretty good
A lot/very

Overall, the third grade girls had a pretty positive view of math and most felt they were
successful and that girls overall are good in math. When the third grade females were surveyed
for their perceptions in math, an overwhelming amount of students felt that they were successful
in math as well as liked math however it was less extreme as seen by the first grade students.
When asked how much they liked math, almost half of the student said they like it pretty well
with the next highest answer being a lot or very much. 13 students claimed to feel successful in
math while 7 students claimed they didnt know/care. This was a much higher amount than was
seen in the first grade students. Over half of the students (14 in total) felt comfortable asking
their teacher for help if they were confused was actually higher than the first grade students. In
terms of the questions, how good at math are boys, the answers were pretty even in each
category. Most of the girls said that the boys were pretty good but there were still many girls

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

10

who answered only a little good or not good at all. The most obvious answer on this survey was
how good in math are girls? 18 of the 25 females surveyed felt that girls are very good at
math, better than boys according to these results.

First grade math perceptions in a mixed

gender classroom
25
20
15
Not at all

10

A little

I dont know/care

0
How much
How
IF you are How good How good
do you like successful confused, are boys at are girls at
math
do you feel
how
math
math
in math comfortable
are you
asking for
help

Pretty good
A lot/very

It is clear from this data that first grade girls have a high perception of math and their
abilities to be successful in this area. When asked how much they like math, 16 of the 25
surveyed answered a lot and only 2 of the students claimed to not like math at all. In addition, 19
of the 25 students felt successful in math while none of the first grade girls answered not at all.
Interestingly, when asked if they ask for help when they are confused, most of the first grade
students admitted that they didnt know or didnt care to ask for help. When asked how good
boys are at math, the results were almost equal for each response. While 4 girls thought boys
were good at math, 5 girls said that they were not good at all. This may have to do with the
egocentric nature of young children and the competitiveness that begins to show up in boys and
girls. An overwhelmingly huge amount of the first grade girls, (22 of the 25 surveyed) answered

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

11

that girls are very good at math. It is clear from this data that first grade girls within a mixed
gender classroom have a highly positive perception of their abilities in math which is proved to
be not as strong in the upper grades.

Fifth grade math perceptions in a mixed

gender classroom
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

Not at all
A little
I dont know/care
How much
How
IF you are How good How good
do you like successful confused, are boys at are girls at
math
do you feel
how
math
math
in math comfortable
are you
asking for
help

Pretty good
A lot/very

Much like the third grade girls within mixed gender classrooms, the fifth grade girls show
much more neutrality when it comes to their perceptions of math and their answers were not as
overwhelmingly positive as the first grade girls. When asked how much they liked math, 9 girls
said that they were pretty good while only 4 thought they were very good in math. In contrast
there were 9 girls who believed they were only a little good or not good at all. This was not as
present in the third and first grade surveys. When asked how successful they feel, the majority
still said that they were pretty good but again there were at least 9 students who did not believe
they were very good at math. The older students appeared to be more apt to ask for help if they
are confused, 16 of the girls saying that they will ask for help often. This was significantly
higher than that of the first and third grade girls. This could be because of the gap that is

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

12

beginning to show on math for females at this age and the fact that they still want to try hard to
achieve in math. Similar to the first and third grade girls, fifth grade girls did not seem to think
boys were very good in math. In fact, more fifth grade girls answered that either they didnt
know or that boys are not very good. Finally, much like the younger students, most of the fifth
grade girls believed that they were pretty good in math however; there were much lower number
of girls that think they are very good in math. Overall, the results of this survey are much more
dispersed among the answers than that of the younger females within a mixed gender school.
Single gender classroom data

Growth in math for females in single

gender classrooms
50%
45%
40%
First
grade

35%
30%

Third
grade

25%
20%

Fifth
grade

15%
10%
5%
0%
Fall mastery

Winter mastery

For girls learning math in single gender classrooms, fairly significant growth was seen for
each grade level. While there are certainly outstanding circumstances that may have tied into
either a large deal of growth or less significant growth, there was notable growth across all
grades. All grade levels showed 0% mastery in the fall benchmark, which is to be expected. This

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

13

is when students are tested the first week into school on concepts that they will be learning over
the course of the year. Other than a handful of students from each grade who scored
Developing on a 4-point rubric from Beginning to Exemplary, most students scored at
Beginning. Because of this, we saw 0% mastery at the beginning of the year, or no students
who scored Accomplished or Exemplary.
Students were tested again a little over halfway through the year in February on
everything that had been taught up until this point. The first grade girls saw the greatest
percentage of growth, going from 0% mastery to roughly 45%. This indicates that nearly half of
the class went from Beginning or Developing to Accomplished or Exemplary. While
that may seem like minimal growth as it is not even half of the class, that is not necessarily
taking into account straightforward growth that was made, for example from Beginning to
Developing. Nearly 50% growth from not mastered to mastered is significant. The 3rd grade
students had similar data. The girls in the 3rd grade class had started at 0% mastery and grown to
40% mastery, which is again nearly half the class at mastery. Finally, the 5th grade girls are
where we see the least percentage of growth. Like the other two classes, these students had
started at 0% mastery and grew to roughly 12% mastery. While again, this is not a great deal of
percentage growth, it is growth nonetheless.
Survey Data
1st Grade GirlsThe following questions were used on the survey to discover girls feelings toward math. First,
students were asked how much they liked math. It has been shown that by enjoying subject matter,
students will be more engaged and invested in the class, which will hopefully lead to greater success. For
this reason, the researchers wanted to see how girls felt towards math in both mixed gender and single

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

14

gender classrooms. Students were then asked how successful they felt in math. Just like the correlation
between enjoying a subject and being successful, it has been shown that if a student feels comfortable in a
subject, it is easier to find success in that subject. Next, the students were asked about their comfort in
terms of asking for help in math. This question was put in place for a couple of reasons. In previous
studies, researchers found that girls often times felt shy or embarrassed to ask for help, sometimes due to
the norm that was in place in the class that girls shouldnt need to ask for help. In the study that was done
around gendered achievement gaps, most teachers reported that they believed their female students to be
more successful in school. Because of this inherent belief, teachers focused their attention on the boys
more often, even if this wasnt necessarily needed: if teachers perceive males as needing additional
support to catch up to females, then the extra attention could give males an added advantage. Prior studies
of teachers special education referrals suggest that teachers assessments of students cognitive abilities
are influenced by how well students behave. This study may suggest that the math struggles for females,
who may be socialized to be less disruptive in class, might be more often ignored (Robinson, Lubienski,
297). Because of the findings from this previous research, the researchers on this study wanted to discover
if these gendered stereotypes played into the classrooms being studied and if girls really did feel more
uncomfortable asking for help. Finally, the researchers wanted to see how the students felt about girls v.
boys success in math. They were asked both how boys perform in math as well as girls. This again goes
back to the self confidence question, but on a greater scale. Historically, boys have been seen as the more
logic/ math based minds while girls have been seen as more of the emotional/ reading and writing based
minds. The researchers wanted to discover if these stereotypes held true in the different classrooms, and if
so, if they had an impact on success.

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

15

First grade math perceptions in a single gender classroom

25

20

15
Not at all
10

A little
I don't know/care

Pretty good
A lot/ Very

0
How much do
How
If you are How good are How good are
you like math successful do confused, how boys at math? girls at math?
you feel in comfortable
math?
do you feel
askign your
teacher for
help?

Overall, the first grade girls had fairly strong feelings towards math and their abilities in math.
These girls for the most part seem to thoroughly enjoy math and feel that they do well. As far as gender
stereotypes go, the girls seemed to feel strongly that their gender was the most successful in math and
didnt really think much about how the boys performed.
When asked about how much they like math, the strong majority of girls said they loved it. 16
girls reported loving math, while only 2 said they dont like it at all. This strong preference for math may
explain why they seemed to be so successful in assessment growth data. When asked about success in
math, 15 reported feeling very successful, while only 1 reported feeling completely unsuccessful. The
other answers in this category were a bit more even spread, from feeling a little successful (4 responses),
to not knowing (3 responses), to feeling fairly successful (3 responses). Again, this strong self confidence

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

16

in math that comes from reporting feeling successful might be a strong indicator for actual success in
math. The 1st grade girls in this study for the most part felt ok about asking for help, with 16 saying they
felt pretty good, or very good about asking for help and only 8 saying they felt a little ok or not ok asking
for help. This might be a positive indication that by not having boys in the classroom, girls feel more
confident to ask for help when they need it. Next, students were asked about boys v. girls success in the
classroom. Students were asked both how good are boys at math and how good are girls at math. The
first grade girls had fairly neutral feelings towards boys success in math, with 16 saying either a little
good or they didnt know, and only 2 saying not good at all and 5 saying the best. On the other hand,
when asked about girls success in math, the overwhelming majority said that girls are the best in math. 21
of 26 students surveyed reported that girls are the best in math, with the remaining saying pretty good, not
sure, or not at all good.

Third grade math perceptions in a single gender classroom

25

20

15
Not at all
10

A little
I don't know/care

Pretty good
A lot/ Very

0
How much do
How
If you are How good are How good are
you like math successful do confused, how boys at math? girls at math?
you feel in comfortable
math?
do you feel
askign your
teacher for
help?

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

17

Next, the 3rd grade girls were surveyed. The results looked fairly reminiscent of the 1st grade girls
data points, with possibly less extreme answers. This may be for a variety of reasons. For one, in 3rd
grade, the girls are maturing more and may be more level headed about things, while 1st grade students
may see things in more extreme ways. Also, in 3rd grade, students may starting to become more selfconscious of their math abilities, either in a positive or negative way. By this it is meant to say that
students may be more reflective of their abilities at this age and may be more cautious to use extremes
when thinking about their specific abilities.
When asked about how much they like math, the majority reported liking it a fair amount or a lot,
with 21 responses. Only 4 reported only liking it a bit or not at all. Answers were again a bit more varied
when it came to asking about how successful they felt in math. 16 reported feeling pretty successful or
very successful, while 6 reported feeling not at all or a little successful and the remaining 3 being unsure.
When asked about boys v. girls success in math, the 3rd grade girls were again fairly neutral, with 9 saying
they were unsure, 9 saying that boys were pretty good or very good and 7 saying there were ok or not
good at all. The 3rd grade girls seemed to show a bit more positivity in terms of boys success in math as
compared with the 1st grade girls. This may have something to do with the fact that the girls in the 3rd
grade are becoming more cognizant of the stereotypes that are out there and are beginning to think more
positively of boys math abilities. Nevertheless, the 3rd grade girls responses when asked about how good
girls are at math were again overwhelmingly positive. 20 of the 25 students surveyed reported that girls
were very good or the best at math. 1 reported that she didnt know and none said that girls were just ok
or not good at all. This shows an overwhelming self-confidence from the 3rd grade students about the
abilities of girls in math, which may have something to do with their success on assessments.

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

18

Fifth grade math perceptions in a single gender classroom

16
14
12
10
8

Not at all

A little

I don't know/care
Pretty good

A lot/ Very
0
How much do
How
If you are How good are How good are
you like math successful do confused, how boys at math? girls at math?
you feel in comfortable
math?
do you feel
askign your
teacher for
help?

Just as we saw beginning to happen with the 3rd grade girls, the 5th grade girls showed a lot more
neutrality in terms of math when surveyed. While their answers were still mostly positive, they were not
nearly as extreme as the 3rd or 1st grade girls. This again may have something to do with the girls
becoming more aware of the gender stereotypes that are out there or just the fact that they are becoming
more aware of themselves as students and their abilities.
For the most part, girls in the 5th grade enjoyed math, with 16 reporting that they enjoyed it and 4
reporting they only liked it a bit or not at all. As far as success goes, the girls were a bit more varied. 13
reported feeling pretty successful or very successful. 4 said they were not sure and 3 said they felt a little
successful or not at all. While not as many girls reported feeling complete success like the other 2 grades,
about the same amount felt feeling mostly successful. When confused in class, most girls felt ok asking

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

19

for help, with only 5 not feeling very comfortable. Finally, when asked about gendered strength in math,
we see fairly different answers as compared to the other two grades. When asked about boys success, the
5th grade girls mostly reported being unsure, with the next most common answer being that boys were
pretty good at math. This is different from the younger grades who for the most part felt that boys werent
all that good at math. The 5th grade girls who have never had math with boys before (just like the younger
girls) seemed more rational with their answer to this question; they had never had a math class with boys
before, therefore how would they know about boys success v. their own? This could be a positive
indicator that the 5th grade girls are not necessarily being swayed by gender stereotypes in their
classroom. Finally, when asked about girls success in math, the girls again for the most part felt
confident in their abilities. 14 of the 20 students surveyed felt pretty good about girls abilities, with 5
thinking that girls are the best and only 1 being unsure.

Discussion/Results
The researchers in this study were aware of the gender achievement gap for females when
it comes to math and given their separate classroom contexts, they wanted to find out if single
genders classrooms would offer a more supportive environment that would lead to higher
achievement for females in math. By analyzing math data from benchmark assessments from the
beginning of the year to the mid-year assessment, there are a few trends that can be discussed.
First of all, in both schools, first grade females showed significant growth. The baseline data
proves that the students had minimal mastery in the math concepts at the beginning of the year
and by the midyear assessment, they had more than doubled their original scores. Specifically
for the females in the single gender first grade classroom, the growth was noteworthy however;
the females from the mixed gender classroom started off the year with a greater percentage of
mastery therefore leaving less room for as much growth.

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

20

Keeping with the trend the researchers expected to see, the third graders from the single
gender classroom made growth but it was less than the first graders. There was still a high
percentage of growth for these students. The females from the mixed gender third grade
classroom showed an extremely high percentage of growth compared to the first grade students
which was not the preconceived expectation the researchers expected to find. It is worth noting
that the third grade students within the mixed gender classroom had the same teachers from
second to third grade while the first grade students did not. This could result in more growth
being achieved by the third grade students. Within the single gender classrooms, the first and
third grade students also had the same teachers for two years in a row which can also account for
their high levels of growth.
The fifth grade data from both schools clearly shows a decrease in achievement, much
greater of a growth percentage within the mixed gender classrooms. The student s within these
classrooms actually decreased in their achievement while the fifth graders from single gender
classrooms showed less growth than the younger grades within that school. These are the results
the researchers expected to find given previous studies about the gender achievement gap in
math however; there are an outlying variable worth noting. The fifth graders from both schools
cycled through two different teachers throughout these first few months of school. Having
different teachers in such a short period of time could have affected their abilities to achieve at a
higher percent.
The second and crucial piece to this study was the surveys that were administered to the
females in each of these grades. The researchers set out to prove whether or not the perception
that girls have of math would affect their ability to be successful. Within both schools, the first
grade students had a higher positive perception of math and their abilities in this subject. They

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

21

expressed a love for math and felt successful in this area. The results continued to be positive for
the third graders within both schools but not as extreme. In terms of the fifth grade girls from
both schools, it was clear that while their perceptions were still positive, there was more
neutrality in the questions which could prove that there is less confidence for these students in
math.
It was interesting to find that the survey results were surprisingly similar across both
schools in each grade. Given previous studies, the researchers expected to see a much higher
positive perception and love for math in the single gender classrooms but this was not the class.
The studies discussed in the literature review found that for the most part, female students had
lower self confidence in math than their male counterparts so the researchers assumed there
would be more negativity towards math in the mixed gender classrooms given the influence from
male students. This was not the case and therefore, the females in the mixed gender classrooms
did not seem affected by their male counterparts or the societal expectations of female
performance until they reached fifth grade. Although their perceptions were still positive, the
percentage of achievement decreased drastically. This answers one of the original research
questions from this study as to whether the presence of males negatively affect the confidence
and achievement of females in math because there appears to be no negative affect, at least in
this context. It is apparent that achievement slows and the gap widens for females as they
progress though school.
There are many variables to this study that can be deemed as limitations that may have
skewed the data. To begin with, there was only a small sample of students studied and only two
schools used in the research. If there was a bigger sample group, the data may have been more
conclusive. It is also important to note the difference in teachers, school philosophy and

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

22

curriculum which makes it difficult to say if the achievement was due to their abilities or the
context of their school. The two tests that were administered between the two schools were
similar but the researchers realize the small differences could have impacted the results as well.
From this study, it cannot be proven if a mixed or single gender classroom is more beneficial for
female mathematicians but it is clear that female achievement decreases in math as students get
older. There also appears to be no connection between negative achievement and perception but
perceptions de decrease the same way as achievement as the students get older. This was true for
both schools.
This study could be improved by following the same group of children throughout their
schooling to see how their specific achievement is impacted. It would also be beneficial for the
same curriculum and assessments to be used between both schools because this is a huge factor
that could have impacted the data. Overall, a longer study with a greater sample group could
make the data more conclusive.

Running head: Gender Achievement Gap

23

References
Robinson, Joseph Paul, and Sarah Theule Lubienski. "The Development of Gender
Achievement Gaps in Mathematics and Reading During Elementary and Middle
School: Examining Direct Cognitive Assessments and Teacher Ratings."
American Educational Research Journal 48.2 (2010): 268-302. Print.

Byrne, Barbara M., and Richard J. Shavelson. "Adolescent Self-Concept: Testing

the Assumption of Equivalent Assumption Across Gender." American
Educational Research Journal 24.3 (1987): 365-85. Print.

Bornholt, Laurel J., Jacqueline J. Goodnow, and George H. Cooney. "Influences of

Gender Stereotypes on Adolescents' Perceptions of Their Own Achievement."
American Educational Research Journal 31.3 (1994): 675-92. Print.

Stake, Jayne E., and Jonathan F. Katz. "Teacher-Pupil Relationships in the

Elementary Classroom: Teacher-Gender and Pupil-Gender Differences."
American Educational Research Journal 19.3 (1982): 465-71. Print.