GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE-TEST - MATHEMATICS PROBLEM-SOLVING AMONG HIGH-ABILITY STUDENTS

This study examined whether male and female students of high mathemati cal ability use different solution strategies on math problems that ha d previously yielded gender differences in correct responding. Structu red interviews were conducted with high school students who had scored at least 670 on the math portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT -M). Eight types of solution strategies could be further dichotomized as conventional or unconventional in approach. Female students were mo re likely than male students to use conventional strategies. SAT-M sco res were correlated with positive attitudes (confidence and persistenc e) towards math, use of conventional strategies was correlated with ne gative attitudes (dislike. nonrelevance) toward math. Findings may hel p to explain patterns of gender differences on SAT-M problems among hi gh-ability students in which female students outperform male students on conventional problems and male students outperform female students on unconventional problems.