Gender Differences In Self-concept Research Articles

Social Contexts and Gender Disparities in Students’ Competence Beliefs: The Role of Gender-Stereotypical Beliefs and Achievement Patterns in the Classroom for Students’ Self-Concept in Gender-Stereotypical Subjects

This study investigated the role of social contexts for gender disparities in education by examining the associations between gender-stereotypical beliefs (GSB) of students, peers, and teachers and gender achievement patterns in the classroom and students’ self-concept in language and math. We applied multilevel models with school fixed effects to a unique sample of combined survey and register data from Denmark to analyze detailed learning environments within schools and their correlations with gender differences in self-concept across subject domains. Results showed a gender gap in favor of boys in mathematics, net of academic achievement that were consistent across classrooms. In language, the influence of gender varied across classrooms. Furthermore, although GSB and gender achievement patterns did not alter the gender gap in either language or mathematics, we found that they moderated the relationship between gender and self-concept in heterogeneous ways across subjects. While teachers’ GSB increased the gender gap in language by decreasing boys’ self-concept, the students’ own GSB was more important for students’ self-concept in mathematics. Moreover, girls’ mathematics self-concept was lower in classrooms, in which, female peers had a relatively higher level of mathematics achievement compared to boys, suggesting that counter-stereotypical achievement patterns in the classroom do not increase students’ self-concept in subjects with strong gender stereotypes. On the contrary, girls are most likely to compare themselves to female peers, resulting in a negative association with self-evaluations. Our results highlighted the role played by social contexts in schools in the generation of gender differences in self-concept in traditionally stereotyped subject domains, but also showed important differences in how boys and girls were affected by their learning environments across different subject domains, suggesting there are different mechanisms at play.

Predicting Dimensions of Intrinsic Motivation from Self-Concept among Sultan Qaboos University Students in Oman

The purpose of this study was to predict the dimensions of intrinsic motivation from self-concept among 1684 first-year students at Sultan Qaboos University. A related purpose was to explore statistically significant gender differences in self-concept and the dimensions of intrinsic motivation. The study tools were intrinsic motivation and self-concept scales. The results showed that academic and non-academic self-concept predicted challenge, curiosity, and independence. Statistically significant differences were attributed to gender in the challenge, independence, and academic self-concept in favor of females. There were no statistically significant gender differences in curiosity and non-academic self-concept.

Effects of school type and gender on student’s self-concept and mathematics achievement

The attention of mathematics educators has been focused on the role self-concept plays in students’ achievement for some time now. A great number of studies shows evidence of a relationship between self-concept and mathematics achievement. Some other studies considered gender differences in self-concept and mathematics achievement. This study was designed to extend the discussions on self-concept and mathematics achievement to include the interaction effect of school type and gender on self-concept and mathematics achievement. The study involved 119 students selected from three different types of school within a district. The schools were selected using stratified random sampling whiles the students were conveniently sampled. A self-concept questionnaire and mathematics achievement test were the two instruments used to gather data for the study. The instruments had reliabilities of 0.72 and 0.68 respectively. The result of the study revealed that both gender and school type have a significant effect on students’ self-concept and mathematics achievement, however, the effect of school type was found to be greater than that of gender. The study found no significant interaction effect of school type and gender on self-concept and mathematics achievement. The findings of the study were discussed in relation to previous findings. It was recommended that the characteristics of the schools need to be studied in order to determine the school variables that impact mathematics self-concept and achievement.

The reciprocal effects of self-concept and academic achievement scores among learners with visual impairment in primary schools, Kenya

Self-concept is one of the most popular ideas in psychological literature. Unfortunately, self-concept is also illusive and often poorly defined construct. Terms such as self-concept, self-esteem, self-worth, self-acceptance are often used interchangeably and inconsistently, when they may relate to different ideas about how people view themselves. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine if there were gender differences in self-concept and academic achievement among visually impaired pupils in Kenya. The population of the study was 291 visually impaired pupils. A sample of 262 respondents was drawn from the population by stratified random sampling technique based on their visual acuity. (189 partially sighted and 73 totally blind). Two instruments were used in this study: Pupils’ self-concept and academic achievement tests. Data analysis was done at p≤0.05 level of significance. The t test was used to test the relationship between self-concept and achievement. The data was analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) structure. The study established that there was indeed a relationship in self-concept and academic achievement among visually impaired pupils in Kenya. The study therefore recommended that the lower self-concept observed among totally blind pupils should be enhanced by giving counseling and early intervention to those group of pupils with a view to helping them accept their disability.

Girls get smart, boys get smug: Historical changes in gender differences in math, literacy, and academic social comparison and achievement

Girls’ lack of self-belief has frequently been cited as a major barrier to advancement in both empirical research and in the popular imagination. With girls now outcompeting boys at almost every educational level, this paper considers if girls still have lower self-concept than boys, if this changes when controlling for academic ability, and what mechanisms explain gender differences. We compare and contrast rational choice, contrast, and assimilation approaches to self-concept and juxtapose historical trajectories in gender differences in self-concept and achievement to distinguish between them. We do this in five age cohorts born between 1981 and 1993 (N = 66, 522) for math, literacy, and general academic domains. Results suggest that there are still significant differences in self-concept between equally able boys and girls and that a mix of assimilation and contrast mechanisms likely explains the size and direction of these effects.

Gender Differences in Self-Concept Among a Sample of Students of the United States International University in Africa

Background: Self-concept is a multifaceted belief system where self-evaluation is carried out in relation to one’s environment. Various research studies have found that self-concept has an impact on the psychological, physical and social wellbeing of a person. There is a dearth of studies on the relationship between self-concept and gender among students in private universities in Kenya. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between gender and self-concept among a sample of United States International University-Africa (USIU-A) students. Methods: The study was conducted in a sample of students studying either the psychology of personality or abnormal psychology courses. The sample size (n) for the current study is 57: which is 0.87% of the student population in the USIU-A. The methodology used in this study is the Tennessee Self-concept Scale (TSCS) consisting of 82 statements. The regression analysis of the six dimensions of selfconcept and gender was done using SPSS® (Version 23). Results: The current study found that personal self-concept variables explained 46.8% of the variations of overall self-concept. A regression between overall selfconcept rating and gender revealed that overall self-concept increases by 6.381% as gender changes from female to male. Conclusion: Male participants were found to have a higher overall self-concept than female participants. Among the sexes the highly suggested ways of increasing self-concept were through socialization, reading and self-awareness.

Gender differences in self-concept, locus of control, and goal orientation in Mexican high-achieving students

ABSTRACT The study compares self-concept, locus of control, and goal orientation characteristics of male and female Mexican high school high-achieving students. Three scales were administered to 220 students; 106 (49%) were males and 114 (51%) females. By means of a discriminant analysis, both groups were compared in relation to the variables such as social self-concept, academic self-concept, achievement motivation toward study, and attributions regarding academic success or failure. It was found that female students have a better academic self-concept and a higher achievement motivation than males. Findings are consistent with previous studies in Mexico that provide evidence of females having greater emotional resources associated with school success.

“Michael can’t read!” Teachers’ gender stereotypes and boys’ reading self-concept.

According to expectancy-value theory, the gender stereotypes of significant others such as parents, peers, or teachers affect students’ competence beliefs, values, and achievement-related behavior. Stereotypically, gender beliefs about reading favor girls. The aim of this study was to investigate whether teachers’ gender stereotypes in relation to reading—their belief that girls outperform boys—have a negative effect on the reading self-concept of boys, but not girls. We drew on a longitudinal study comprising two occasions of data collection: toward the beginning of Grade 5 (T1) and in the second half of Grade 6 (T2). Our sample consisted of 54 teachers and 1,358 students. Using multilevel modeling, controlling for T1 reading self-concept, reading achievement, and school track, we found a negative association between teachers’ gender stereotype at T1 and boys’ reading self-concept at T2, as expected. For girls, this association did not yield a significant result. Thus, our results provide empirical support for the idea that gender differences in self-concept may be due to the stereotypical beliefs of teachers as significant others. In concluding, we discuss what teachers can do to counteract the effects of their own gender stereotypes.

Mathematics and Science Achievements Predicted by Self-Concept and Subject Value Among 8th Grade Saudi Students: Invariance Across Gender

The aims of this study were to evaluate the relationships among student’s self-perceptions, subject value, and achievement in mathematics and science in a single-sex educational milieu, and test whether the relationships were invariant across gender. The data for this study were obtained from the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007 database in which 4,099 eighth-grade Saudi students participated. The variables used in this study were mathematics and science self-concepts, subject value, and achievement in mathematics and science. The relationships among constructs were examined using structural equation modeling. The results revealed that the measurement and structural models were invariant across gender. Also, although the boys held more positive self-concepts (self-enhancing) about math and science, girls outperformed boys in both math and science (self-improving). The implication of the study is that intervention strategies should consider the conceptualization that self-concept and subject value are two distinct domain-specific constructs. Also, interventions may be differentially designed for boys and girls, especially in single-sex settings. However, more research should be conducted in which high-stake tests vs. low-stake tests like the TIMSS, are used as measures of achievement. Future research may study gender differences in self-concept, subject value, and achievement by using measurement models that provide more detailed information about measurement bias across gender groups.

Self-concept of computer and math ability: Gender implications across time and within ICT studies

The scarcity of women in ICT-related studies has been systematically reported by the scientific community for many years. This paper has three goals: to analyze gender differences in self-concept of computer and math abilities along with math performance in two consecutive academic years; to study the ontogeny of gender differences in self-concept of computer and of math abilities and math performance across subject areas; and to contrast the role these variables play in predicting ICT-related studies over 2years. 900 (M=15years, s.d.=1.73) and 424 (M=16years, s.d.=.49) Spanish secondary students participated at both times. Self-concept of computer ability is higher in boys at both times; furthermore it decreases in girls and increases in boys across time. At time 2, boys have a higher self-concept of math ability, despite the lack of gender differences in math performance. Participants have a higher self-concept of math ability and math performance at time 1 than at time 2. Self-concepts of computer ability predict the intention to pursue ICT-related studies and mediate the association of gender with the intention to pursue ICT-studies.

Gender Differences in Gifted and Average-Ability Students

This article investigates gender differences in 181 gifted and 181 average-ability sixth graders in achievement, academic self-concept, interest, and motivation in mathematics. Giftedness was conceptualized as nonverbal reasoning ability and defined by a rank of at least 95% on a nonverbal reasoning subscale of the German Cognitive Abilities Test. Mathematical achievement was measured by teacher-assigned grades and a standardized mathematics test. Self-concept, interest, and motivation were assessed by questionnaire. In both ability groups, boys earned significantly higher test scores but there were no gender differences in grades. Girls scored lower on measures of academic self-concept, interest, and motivation. Gender differences were larger in gifted than in average-ability students. Ability group differences for self-concept and interest were only found for boys in favor of the gifted. Results support the assumption that gender differences in self-concept, interest, and motivation in mathematics are more prevalent in gifted than in average-ability students.

Gender Differences in the Self-Concept of Preadolescent Children

The aim of this study was to examine gender differences in academic and non-academic self-concept. Childrens’ self-perceptions were compared with the perceptions held by others (parents and teachers). The SDQ1 was presented to 428 children. Parents and teachers completed an adapted form. Results show that boys exhibited a higher self-concept than girls in almost all areas. Mothers, fathers and also teachers, gave the abilities of the boys in mathematics a higher rating, whereas mothers and teachers rated the verbal abilities of the girls somewhat higher. By using regression analyses, the hypothesis was confirmed that the general self-concept of girls is heavily dependent on the judgements of teachers and parents, but this was not found to be the case with boys.

Gender differences in self-concept and psychological well-being in old age: a meta-analysis.

Because of women's higher risk of being widowed, having health problems, and needing care, one might expect them to have a more negative self-concept and lower subjective well-being (SWB). However, women may also have greater access to sources of SWB (e.g., relations to adult children) and may engage in processes to protect the self (e.g., lowered aspirations). Meta-analysis was used to synthesize findings from 300 empirical studies on gender differences in life satisfaction, happiness, self-esteem, loneliness, subjective health, and subjective age in late adulthood. Older women reported significantly lower SWB and less positive self-concept than men on all measures, except subjective age, although gender accounted for less than 1% of the variance in well-being and self-concept. Smaller gender differences in SWB were found in younger than in older groups. Statistically controlling for gender differences in widowhood, health, and socioeconomic status decreased gender differences in SWB. Cohort differences in SWB are reported as well.

Self-concept and gender in Spanish low-vision adolescents

We investigated whether there were gender differences in self-concept among adolescents with congenital low vision. The sample population consisted of 23 adolescents, 12–17 years of age (8 males and 15 females), who were attending either their second year of secondary education or a pre-university preparatory course. Using the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS) for the evaluation of self-concept, we obtained five dimensions of self-concept, five dimensions of self-esteem, and five dimensions of self-behavior for the evaluated adolescents. The overall results of the study showed some gender differences in the adolescents’ self-concept and self-behavior. Female subjects scored lower on social self-concept, family self-behavior, and moral self-behavior dimensions than male subjects, but higher on physical self-concept.

Gender differences in self-concept among children and adolescents: A meta-analysis of multidimensional studies.

Gender differences in self-concept among children and adolescents: A meta-analysis of multidimensional studies.

Within-Culture and Gender Differences in Self-Concept

Open-ended self-descriptions were provided by 301 urban and 251 rural Nepalese secondary school children. The responses were coded according to whether they were "large group" collectivist, "small group" collectivist, or individualist and evaluative or nonevaluative self-references. As predicted, the rural, less modernized group gave fewer individualist responses but, contrary to prediction, did not provide either more "small group" collectivist responses or fewer evaluative responses. There was also no tendency for the males to report a more individualistic self. Both groups, particularly the rural, frequently reported future-oriented self-descriptions. The findings, therefore, questioned the generalizability of theoretical notions of culture and the self.