El Rol del Género en las Interacciones Pedagógicas de Aulas de Matemática Chilenas

Abstract

In Chile, national and international standardized tests have revealed major differences in mathematics achievement in favor of boys. This study sought to determine whether gender differences exist in classroom interactions and examined the relationship between teachers' beliefs and their pedagogical practices. Forty 7th grade mathematics lessons taught in Chilean public schools by 20 educators selected via convenience sampling were video-taped. Pedagogical interactions were coded by gender and a self-report questionnaire on beliefs was administered to the teachers. Descriptive analyses were conducted. The Wilcoxon test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used for group comparisons. It was observed that teachers ask boys significantly more questions requiring complex cognitive processes and provide more feedback to boys, and also that boys participate significantly more in class than girls. There are no differences between male and female teachers regarding these practices. In addition, preliminary evidence was found of a concordance between beliefs and practices in teachers who reported explicit gender stereotypes associated with mathematics learning.