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Predicting the Calculus Level Selected by Gifted High School Females

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Predicting the Calculus Level Selected by. Gifted High School Females. A ... Perceptions of encouragement significantly different for the two calculus groups ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Predicting the Calculus Level Selected by Gifted High School Females


1
Predicting the Calculus Level Selected by Gifted
High School Females
  • A Discriminant Analysis
  • Dr. Catherine Reed

2
  • The gender gap in high school mathematics
    course taking has disappeared for the most part,
    and women are earning close to half of the
    bachelors degrees in science and engineering.
  • - National Science Foundation

3
  • Despite this, female participation at advanced
    levels in mathematics continues to lag behind
    that of males.
  • - National Science Technology Council
  • Females are more likely than males not to
    continue advanced mathematics coursework beyond
    the minimum requirements for high school
    graduation.
  • - Adams

4
  • The research site was a Governors Regional
    School for Science and Technology.
  • Students are selected during 8th grade on the
    basis of aptitude and interest in sciences and
    related fields
  • Grades
  • Recommendations
  • Entrance exam score

5
Background
  • Administration and faculty expressed concern
    about low numbers of females taking higher
    mathematics.
  • Previous initiatives had not yielded desired
    results.

6
Methodology
  • Qualitative Interviews
  • 6 females in final semester at the site
  • Focus Groups
  • Faculty in mathematics, physics, and computer
    science
  • Instrumentation
  • Existing instruments insufficient
  • Developed new instrument

7
Qualitative Research
  • 6 senior females in their last semester of high
    school
  • Themes
  • Safe learning environment
  • Pressured to apply for admission by
    significant others
  • Interests have changed since 8th grade
  • Pervasive gender bias
  • Few opportunities for electives

8
Faculty Focus Groups
  • Course work extremely challenging and fast paced
  • Rich elective opportunities within requirement
    groups
  • No gender bias
  • Very concerned about females flagging interest
    in mathematics

9
Creation of New Instrument
  • Based on
  • Qualitative interviews
  • Faculty focus groups
  • Prior research into the patterns of course
    selection by females

10
Factors Associated with Mathematics Course
Selections of Females
  • Classroom Environment
  • Teacher interactions
  • Competition and marginalization

Significant Others Counselors and
teachers Parents/Guardians Peer Groups Role
Models
11
Factors Associated with Mathematics Course
Selections by Females
  • Perceptions
  • Self confidence
  • Anxiety and risk-taking
  • Mathematics as a male domain
  • Importance of Mathematics

12
Instrument Development and Administration
  • Topics entered into grid
  • Graduates reviewed grid, added topics, and
    suggested formatting
  • Review by 2 female mathematics teachers
  • Advanced Placement Statistics classes piloted
    the instrument
  • Volunteers participated (n98)

13
Factor Analysis
  • Employed SPSS version 8
  • Suppressed factor loadings lt.4
  • Resulted in 5 factors

14
Factor 1 Satisfaction with Precalculus
15
Factor 2 Perceptions of Encouragement
16
Factor 3 Comfort with Teacher Style
17
Factor 4 Importance of Mathematics
18
Factor 5 General Achievement
19
Separation of Calculus Groups
  • Groups differed at the .05 level of significance
    on 3 factors
  • Factor I - Satisfaction with Precalculus
  • Factor II - Perceptions of Encouragement
  • Factor V - General Achievement
  • Groups differed at the .06 level of significance
    on Factor IV - Importance of Mathematics
  • No separation of groups on Factor III - Comfort
    with Teacher Style

20
Discriminant Function
  • Y .909f1 .426f2 .068f3 .381f4 .589f5
  • Correctly predicts calculus level for 83
  • n 50 for calculus AB
  • n 47 for calculus BC
  • 14 of Calculus AB incorrectly predicted
  • 20 of Calculus BC incorrectly predicted

21
Implications
  • Even for high performing females, classroom
    environment issues remain highly important
  • Perceptions of encouragement significantly
    different for the two calculus groups
  • SAT scores, though high, do discriminate between
    the two groups

22
Non-Significant Factors
  • Importance of mathematics expected to be
    statistically significant
  • Calculus AB students regarded by selves and
    teachers to enjoy humanities and arts more than
    Calculus BC students
  • Comfort with teacher style expected to be
    significant
  • All who contributed to the development of the
    instrument agreed.
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