Here, but not there: Cross-national variability of gender effects in arithmetic

Chen Shen; Marina Vasilyeva; Elida V Laski

doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2016.01.016

Here, but not there: Cross-national variability of gender effects in arithmetic

J Exp Child Psychol. 2016 Jun:146:50-65. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2016.01.016. Epub 2016 Feb 22.

Authors

Chen Shen¹, Marina Vasilyeva², Elida V Laski¹

Affiliations

¹ Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
² Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA. Electronic address: vasilyev@bc.edu.

PMID: 26914105
DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2016.01.016

Abstract

The current study examined gender differences in arithmetic performance among first graders from the United States, Russia, and Taiwan. Children (N=250, Mage=7 years 2 months) solved simple (single-digit) and complex (mixed- and double-digit) addition problems and explained their strategies. On simple problems, there were gender differences in strategies that varied across countries but no differences in accuracy. On complex problems, there were gender differences among American and Russian students in strategy use that mediated differences in accuracy. In contrast, among Taiwanese students, there were no gender differences in strategies or accuracy. The pattern of results suggests that educational context may play a role in gender differences in mathematics.

Keywords: Arithmetic; Cross-cultural differences; Gender differences; Math; Problem-solving; Strategy.

MeSH terms

Child
Cross-Cultural Comparison*
Female
Humans
Male
Mathematics / statistics & numerical data*
Problem Solving*
Russia
Sex Factors
Taiwan
United States