The Properties of Powers: Didactic Contract and Gender Gap

Federica Ferretti,Chiara Giberti

doi:10.1007/s10763-020-10130-5

Abstract

National and international large-scale assessments of mathematics show that, in most nations, males achieve better results than females and Italy is one of the countries with a greater gap. Many research studies in mathematics education have analysed this issue, using both quantitative and qualitative methods to understand the sources and characteristics of this gap. This study focuses on a specific Grade 10 task that requires algebraic manipulations of powers with the same base. Item-level analysis enables the study of gender differences on specific content, before using the lenses of mathematics education theories to interpret macro-phenomena emergeing from standardized assessment results. The quantitative analysis, carried out using the Rasch statistical model, highlights a gender gap in favour of males in this task and, furthermore, a variance in choices of incorrect options between males and females; the interviews conducted provide a key to understanding this phenomenon in terms of didactic contract.

Highlights

National and international large-scale assessments of mathematics show that, in most nations, males achieve better results than females and Italy is one of the countries with a greater gap
The results of the first part of the quantitative analysis reported in the table below (Fig. 1) derive from the statistical analysis made by INVALSI using the software Acer Conquest, which merges the results of the Rasch Analysis (Item delta and Distractor Plots) with the main index of Classical Test Theory (Discrimination and Weighted MNSQ)
The analysis of gender gap on specific tasks can lead to the identification of factors of a didactic nature that have a different impact on males and females, and which can be interpreted throughout solid findings of mathematics education theories

Summary

Introduction

National and international large-scale assessments of mathematics show that, in most nations, males achieve better results than females and Italy is one of the countries with a greater gap. Item-level analysis enables the study of gender differences on specific content, before using the lenses of mathematics education theories to interpret macro-phenomena emergeing from standardized assessment results. Specific studies (i.e. Cascella, Giberti, Bolondi, 2020; Leder, 1992; Leder & Forgasz, 2008; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD], 2016a) highlight how variables linked to teaching practice, such as curriculum variables and assessment methods, might affect the gender gap in mathematics. One of the aims of this research study is to investigate, quantify and characterize macro-phenomena related to a gender gap which emerges from standardized assessments and may be framed within the context of the didactic contract. Subsequent structured interviews allow us to confirm our hypothesis and characterize the phenomenon studied

Results

Discussion

Conclusion