Abstract
Previous research [S. J. Pollock et al., Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 3, 1 (2007)] showed that despite the use of interactive engagement techniques, the gap in performance between males and females on a conceptual learning survey persisted from pretest to post-test at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Such findings were counter to previously published work [M. Lorenzo et al., Am. J. Phys. 74, 118 (2006)]. This study begins by identifying a variety of other gender differences. There is a small but significant difference in the course grades of males and females. Males and females have significantly different prior understandings of physics and mathematics. Females are less likely to take high school physics than males, although they are equally likely to take high school calculus. Males and females also differ in their incoming attitudes and beliefs about physics. This collection of background factors is analyzed to determine the extent to which each factor correlates with performance on a conceptual post-test and with gender. Binned by quintiles, we observe that males and females with similar pretest scores do not have significantly different post-test scores $(p>0.2)$. The post-test data are then modeled using two regression models (multiple regression and logistic regression) to estimate the gender gap in post-test scores after controlling for these important prior factors. These prior factors account for about 70% of the observed gender gap. The results indicate that the gender gap exists in interactive physics classes at our institution but is largely associated with differences in previous physics and math knowledge and incoming attitudes and beliefs.
Highlights
IntroductionPrevious studies at CU, and elsewhere, have identified differences in males’ and females’ performances on surveys of conceptual physics
AND BACKGROUNDA recent American Institute of Physics2005͒ report found that females earned 22% of all bachelor’s degrees and 18% of all doctoral degrees in physics.1 At the University of ColoradoCU, females make up only 25% of the students who enroll in introductory physics and about 15% of the physics majors
We address the following research questions: ͑1͒ On what measures do we observe differences by gender in the introductory physics course, for example, conceptual learning, components of the course grade, attitudes and beliefs, and prior knowledge and preparation? ͑2͒ Are measures of background correlated with student performance in the courseas measured by a conceptual learning surveyand correlated with gender? ͑3͒ To what extent do differences in males’ and females’ backgrounds contribute to the persistence of the gender gap in introductory physics courses? We find that there are several aspects of the introductory course in which we identify gender differences, including males’ and females’ course grades, prior physics and mathematics understanding, and their attitudes and beliefs about physics
Summary
Previous studies at CU, and elsewhere, have identified differences in males’ and females’ performances on surveys of conceptual physics.. Previous studies at CU, and elsewhere, have identified differences in males’ and females’ performances on surveys of conceptual physics.2–4 This under-representation and underperformance of females in physics is cause for concern and has led to a variety of studies on the source of the gender gaps in college physics.. In a previous study,7 45% of students reported that their interest in physics decreased over the course of the first semester of introductory physics at CU. Of those that gave a reason for their decreased interest, one third indicated their personal successor failure. The goal of this work is to determine how much of the observed gender gap can be attributed to factors other than gender explicitly
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