GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL C HILDRENS SELF-CONCEPT AND ATTRIBUTIONS IN MATHEMATICS

In a sample of N = 215 students from the third and fourth grades of el ementary school, gender differences in mathematics self-concept and at tributions were investigated. Although girls and boys appeared to perf orm equally well in mathematics, analyses of variance revealed signifi cant gender differences in the related self-concept and causal attribu tions: Girls reported lower self-evaluations of their perceived compet encies in mathematics than boys. Furthermore, with respect to an actua l mathematics class examination, girls were less likely to attribute s uccess to their own ability than boys. They tended to attribute failur e more to a lack of own ability and less to a lack of their own effort than boys. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate early gende r-dependent patterns in students' motivational orientations which migh t contribute to generating the lower achievement level in mathematics among girls at higher grades.