University of Twente Student Theses
The impact of achievement, gender and parental involvement on students’ self-concept and intrinsic motivation for mathematics and science
Mejia Rodriguez, A.M. (2018) The impact of achievement, gender and parental involvement on students’ self-concept and intrinsic motivation for mathematics and science.
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| Abstract: | Students’, especially girls’, lack of participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a matter of worldwide concern, and research suggests this is related to students’ attitudes towards mathematics and science. Using data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015 assessment of fourth-grade students in 32 countries, a series of mean comparisons and regression analyses were conducted to determine (1) the gender gap students’ intrinsic motivation and self-concept for mathematics and science; (2) to what extent student achievement, student gender, and various types of parental involvement (i.e. expectations, attitudes, education, and early numeracy activities) influence students intrinsic motivation and self-concept; and (3) to what extent there are significant interaction effects between student gender and parental involvement. Results from this study indicated that there is a significant gender gap in students’ attitudes towards mathematics and science in several countries. Mean comparisons results revealed that girls have significantly lower mathematics intrinsic motivation and mathematics self-concept but, in contrast, they have significantly higher science intrinsic motivation and science self-concept. Regression analyses revealed that, for all attitudes, student achievement and student gender have a greater impact than the different types of parental involvement. Achievement has the largest effect in all countries while gender has a significant effect in more than half of the countries, depending on the attitude. Out of the types of parental involvement, parents’ expectations and parents’ attitudes were the most significant variables, with parents’ expectations having a significant positive effect on students’ self-concept and parents’ attitudes having a significant positive effect on students’ intrinsic motivation. Few interactions effects between gender and parental involvement were significant. This study provides insight into the influence parents, student gender, and student achievement have on the attitudes towards mathematics and science of boys and girls. There is evidence of a significant gender gap in students’ attitudes – either on favour of boys or girls – as early as in fourth-grade, a matter of concern as this might influence student achievement and future educational choices. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 81 education, teaching |
| Programme: | Educational Science and Technology MSc (60023) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/74457 |
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