RME-GenderPers.pdf (289.1 kB)
Achievement and behaviour in undergraduate mathematics: personality is a better predictor than gender
journal contribution
posted on 2014-04-29, 13:23 authored by Lara AlcockLara Alcock, Nina Attridge, Steven KennySteven Kenny, Matthew InglisMatthew InglisWe investigated two factors that predict students' achievement and behaviour in undergraduate mathematics: gender and personality. We found that gender predicted students' achievement and behaviour when considered in isolation, but ceased to be predictive when personality profiles were taken into account. Furthermore, personality accounted for significantly more variance in undergraduates' achievement and behaviour than did gender, but the converse was not the case. We therefore argue that personality provides the more productive lens through which to understand the behaviour of undergraduate mathematics students. We relate this finding to recent research emphasising gender differences in mathematics education, and suggest that researchers wishing to promote equity in participation at and beyond the undergraduate level should consider shifting their focus to individual differences in personality.
Funding
This work was partially funded by a grant from the National HE STEM programme (to SK) and by a Royal Society Worshipful Company of Actuaries Fellowship (to MI).
History
School
- Science
Department
- Mathematics Education Centre
Citation
ALCOCK, L. ... et al, 2014. Achievement and behaviour in undergraduate mathematics: personality is a better predictor than gender. Research in Mathematics Education, 16 (1), pp. 1 - 17Publisher
Taylor and Francis / © British Society for Research into Learning MathematicsVersion
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Publication date
2014Notes
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Research in Mathematics Education on 28th January 2014, available online: http://wwww.tandfonline.com/10.1080/14794802.2013.874094ISSN
1479-4802eISSN
1754-0178Publisher version
Language
- en