What’s Happening to Our Boys? A Personal Investment Analysis of Gender Differences in Student Motivation

Abstract

Gender differences in student achievement and motivation have been documented in previous research, with the results usually favoring girls. However, previous research has only focused on a restricted range of moti- vational constructs which may not capture the multidi- mensionality and complexity of motivation. Moreover, most of these studies were conducted among Western, mostly North American students, thus the generalizability of these findings to other populations remains questionable. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the nature and extent of gender differences in student motivation using a broader range of motivational constructs drawn from Personal Investment Theory. Filipino secondary school students (N = 1,674) participated in this study. Results indicated that boys had a more maladaptive profile across most of the dimensions investigated, although the effect sizes were small. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.