Perceived Math Abilities by Gender and Aspects That Affect Those Abilities
Educational Statistics and Research Design
EDU 5523

October 2012
Abstract
For many years there has been a strong interest on the gender differences of boys and girls as it relates to the sciences. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are gender differences in the way adolescent boys and girls perceive their math abilities and what aspects affect those abilities. Participants were children of adults who completed the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). A large national investigation of households in the U.S. the children in the current investigation completed the child supplement of the PSID. The youth were then asked to give a self-report on how they viewed their math capabilities. The age of participants ranged from 10 to 18 from all over the U.S. According to this study, Even though boys had a higher mean score, gender differences only play a small role in how boys and girls view their math ability. Boys scored a higher mean score than girls but, there was no significant gender difference found in their attitudes toward math. Boys seem to think, more than girls do that, their math abilities were above average. It should be noted that the data shows there are other factors that affect math ability other than gender. There are other factors as well that were found to predict achievement in math.

Perceived Math Abilities by Gender and Aspects That Affect Those Abilities
Introduction
The history on the issue of men and women’s participation in mathematics provides an interesting case study. Research on gender differences in mathematical test performance has been controversial for quite a while (Rosselli, Ardila, Matute, & Inozemtseva, 2009). Historically, girls have underperformed relative to boys in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics although more recent reviews argue for similarities between the genders (Brown, Leaper, 2010). Results from a self-rated math abilities test showed boys scored a higher mean score than girls but, there was no significant gender difference found in their attitudes toward math. Boys seem to think, more than girls do that, their math abilities were above average. The gap between boys and girls seems to increase in high school; where by the 12th grade males show very significant advantages over females of the same age in mathematical achievement tests.
It should be noted that the data shows there are other factors that affect math ability other than gender. There are other factors such as age, SES, family dynamics, the media, school experience, teaching style, learning style, etc. that may affect math ability. The underlying gender differences in mathematical performance are not yet fully understood.
The sample size consisted of 1309 adolescents from the U.S. (667 boys + 642 girls) the average age of participants was 13.4 years. Ages ranged from 10 to 18. Participants were children of adults who completed the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID); a large national investigation of households in the U.S. The children in the current investigation completed the child supplement of the PSID. The youth were then asked to give a self-report on how they viewed their math capabilities. Results showed that boys and girls scored similarly in most subtests, but that differences emerged in the performance of mental mathematical operations and in resolving arithmetical problems.
Review of Literature: Aspects that affect math ability
Media
Research reports of educationally relevant findings are hardly ever covered by the media. When research is the focus of the popular press, the media is believed to have a strong influence on public opinions. An empirical study was conducted to investigate the impact of media coverage following the release of a research report by Benbow and Stanley (1982). Parents of adolescents were targeted as the population most likely