Mathematics Self-Concept in New Zealand Elementary School Students: Evaluating Age-Related Decline
| Autor: | Kane Meissel, Penelope W. St J. Watson, Christine M. Rubie-Davies |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Longitudinal study
lcsh:BF1-990 education Self-concept Ethnic group Context (language use) 050105 experimental psychology Developmental psychology 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Age related Student achievement gender Psychology 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences Association (psychology) General Psychology Original Research 05 social sciences mathematics self-concept career choice lcsh:Psychology age Pacific islanders ethnicity 030217 neurology & neurosurgery |
| Zdroj: | Frontiers in Psychology Frontiers in Psychology, Vol 10 (2019) |
| ISSN: | 1664-1078 |
| Popis: | The underrepresentation of females in mathematics-related fields may be explained by gender differences in mathematics self-concept (rather than ability) favoring males. Mathematics self-concept typically declines with student age, differs with student ethnicity, and is sensitive to teacher influence in early schooling. We investigated whether change in mathematics self-concept occurred within the context of a longitudinal intervention to raise and sustain teacher expectations of student achievement. This experimental study was conducted with a large sample of New Zealand primary school students and their teachers. Data were analyzed using longitudinal multilevel modelling with mathematics self-concept as the dependent variable and time (which represents students’ increasing age each year), gender, and ethnicity entered as predictors and achievement in mathematics included as a control variable. Interaction terms were also explored to investigate changes over time for different groups. All students demonstrated a small increase in mathematics self-concept over the three-year period of the current study but mathematics self-concept was consistently greater for boys than girls. Māori, Asian, and Other students’ initial mathematics self-concept was higher than that of New Zealand European and Pacific Islanders’ (after controlling for achievement differences). However, a statistically significant decline in mathematics self-concept occurred for Māori students alone by the end of the study. The expected age-related reduction over time in student mathematics self-concept appeared to be mitigated in association with the longitudinal study. Nevertheless, the demonstration of a comparatively lower mathematics self-concept remained for girls overall and declined for Māori. Our results reinforce implications for future research into mathematics self-concept as a possible determinant of female student career choices. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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