Gender Differences in Self-Regulation

and Academic Achievement in Science

:
Ma. Theresa Cordova- MantraMedia
Adelaida de Perio- APSA
De La Salle University
Background

  2003 Trends in International Math and Science Study

(TIMSS) results showed that Philippines ranked 4th
from the bottom among the 44 schools that
participated in 8th grade Science test and ranked 3rd
from the bottom among 22 participating schools in
the 4th –grade test.
Background

  Another interesting result showed that gender

differences were more pronounced in Science as
males significantly performed better than females in
Science.

Educators have also paid attention to

how students regulate their learning.
Review of Related Literature

According to social-cognitive, students’ academic

effectiveness depends on their use of self- regulatory
strategies and the effectiveness of these processes
(Zimmerman, 2000).

This theory suggests a perspective that students develop

academic competence in a series of self- regulatory levels.
Review of Related Literature

  Academic achievement in Science is facilitated by

measures of self-regulation as supported by the study
of Carr and Jessup (1997) who reported gender
differences in self-regulation strategies.
Review of Related Literature

  Self-regulating learning assumes that students can

personally improve their ability to learn, can
proactively select, structure and create advantageous
learning environments and can play a significant role
in choosing the form and amount of instruction they
need (Zimmerman, 2001).
Review of Related Literature

  To varying degrees, self-regulation tasks tap working

memory, attention, and inhibitory control, which work
separately and in conjunction to support self-directed
classroom behavior (Blair, 2002; McClelland et al.,
2007; Ponitz et al., 2008).
Review of Related Literature
  There are numerous studies that indicate that self-
regulated learning plays a role in academic achievement.
Research involving regulation strategies like verbal
elaboration, text comprehension monitoring were
mentioned in several studies.
Review of Related Literature
  In one study by Zimmerman & Martinez-Pons, 1986,
they correlated high school students’ regulated
strategies and achievement track placement in school.
Analyses showed that their self- regulated learning
strategies were strongly associated with superior
academic achievement.
Review of Related Literature
  The strong evidence connecting self-regulation and
academic achievement has received increased
empirical attention but little of this research has
incorporated gender as a moderating variable. Recent
investigators have reported gender differences in self-
regulation in the early school years but not in the
high school level
Review of Related Literature
  In measuring the academic achievement, studies showed
that classroom and most academic settings are largely to
the advantage of the boys (Weaver-Hightower, 2003).

  Xin Ma (1999) also reported the study done by PISA in

2003 regarding gender differences in Science achievement.
It revealed that there were gender differences in 16 out
of 40 participating countries, with the majority of gender
differences in favor of boys.
  This poses the first hypothesis of the study that the
gender moderates the effect of self-regulation on
Science achievement for high school students.

  The second hypothesis is to predict that males

perform better than females in Science achievement.
Method
  Participants

  A total of 144 males and 145 females from high school

level of a private school in Metro Manila participated in
the study. Their ages range from 15-17 years old.
Method
  Instruments
Two tests developed by the Asian Psychological Services
and Assessment, Inc. were employed in this study.
The first instrument used was the Science achievement
part of the Assessment for College Potential (ACP),
designed to measure the Science achievement .
The 30-item test measures knowledge and application of
scientific facts and principles, specifically in the content
areas of General Science, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
Method
  The second instrument used was the Interest and Study
Habits Inventory (ISHI) which measures four domains:
Processing Strategies, Regulation Strategies, Learning
Orientation and Mental Modes of Knowledge. This 30-
item inventory uses a Likert-type scale ranging from
Strongly Agree (4) to Strongly Disagree (1).
Method
  Procedure
The two tests (ACP and ISHI) were administered to
fourth year college students in one private school in
Metro Manila in coordination with the Guidance Office.
The tests were consecutively accomplished by the high
school students. The ACP was administered first for 1
hour and 45 minutes and followed by the ISHI for 40
minutes.
Data Analysis
  Path analysis was used in the study to determine the
direct effects of the endogenous variables to the
exogenous variables.

  Path coefficients were computed to determine the causal

relationships of self regulation on achievement and
likewise gender on achievement. Measures of the
goodness of fit of the model were also computed using
values of Chi-Square, RMSEA, and GFI.
Results
Table 1
Mean and Standard Deviation of the Gender, Regulation and
Achievement

M SD Cronbach’s
Alpha

Gender .50

Regulation 2.72 .56 .67

Achievement 74.13 7 .71

Results
Table 2
Mean and Standard Deviation of the Regulation and Achievement
for Males and Females

Regulation M Achievement
SD
M SD

Male 2.643 .49 72.33 7.33

Female 2.79 .57 76.23 7.33

Results
  Model 1
48.08
.07

Gender e1

1
.00
.25

.02

Regulation Achievement
.43

.29

GenderxRegulation
Results
  Model II
48.82

.31

.48

regulation achievement
Analysis
  Does Gender Moderate the Effect of Self-Regulation on
Science Achievement?

The present study showed that gender can moderate the

effect of self-regulation on Science Achievement. This
significant effect can be explained because of females who
are more likely to self-regulate achieve higher level of
performance in Science compared to males.
Analysis
  This is supported by Ergul’s (2004) findings that that self-
regulation characteristic becomes significant for females.
Although, self-regulation did not have a significant direct
effect on achievement in Science which is in contrast with
the Social Cognitive Model stating that there is a
relationship between regulation and achievement
Analysis
  Are the males performing better than females in Science
achievement?
  Results showed that males are not performing better than
females in Science achievement. This finding is supported
by a study ascertaining that girls tend to attain higher
grades, achieve higher levels of education and progress
better scholastically overall than boys (Birch & Gary,
1998; Duckworth & Seligman, 2006; Silverman, 2003).
Recommendations
  Other than using large sample needs to increase the
power of statistics, there is also a need to explore and
use other measures of Science achievement to explain
further the interaction effect of gender and regulation.

Further studies can include other variables that can

moderate achievement and regulation such as motivation,
self-efficacy, and interest in exploring the predictability of
successful students in Science subjects
Thank you!