The Effect of Mathematics Self-Concept on Girls' and Boys' Mathematical Achievement

Abstract

Norwegian elementary schoolboys showed significantly higher mathematics self-concept than girls. Boys also had a significantly higher mathematical achievement score than girls. However, controlling for mathematics self-concept produced several interesting results. First, there was no significant effect of gender on overall mathematical achievement. Second, although the gender difference in achievement favouring boys increased with increasing task difficulty, no significant effects of gender were found in subsamples of difficult tasks. Finally, a significant effect of gender favouring girls appeared in subsamples of easy tasks and in routinizing well-defined procedural tasks. These results indicate that mathematics self-concept is an important variable accounting for differences in elementary schoolgirls' and boys' mathematical achievement.