Gender Differences in Laterality, Socialization, and Educational Attainment in Fourth Grade Students.

N

16

Academic Achievement; Children; Discriminant Analysis; English; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Lateral Dominance; Mathematics Achievement; Parent Influence; Predictor Variables; Regression (Statistics); Sex Differences; Socialization; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Influence

This study examined gender differences in laterality, socialization, and educational achievement in fourth graders and determined which characteristics predicted mathematical and language achievement. The participants were four fourth grade classes comprised of 32 boys and 45 girls at an elementary school in a small rural town. Measures used were three project-constructed questionnaires--the Student Self-Analysis of Socialization (SSAS), Parent Self-Analysis of Socialization (PSAS), and Teacher Self-Analysis of Socialization (TSAS); a Problem Solving Questions (PSQ) measure; the Laterality Survey; and numerical English and mathematics grades at the end of the school year. Discriminant analysis resulted in a highly significant model, with 87 percent of the children correctly classified. Those variables which best discriminated between boys and girls were their English grades, performance on stereotypic female problem-solving tasks, the gender of the parent who cares for the sick child, and scores on the Student Self-Analysis of Socialization survey. Regression analyses indicated that English grades were best predicted by right-tendency laterality, math grades, and the teacher's opinion on gender and success in math reasoning. Regression analysis also indicated that math grades were best predicted by English grades, left-tendency laterality, and the teacher's opinion on gender success in math reasoning. (Contains 12 references.) (Author/KDFB)

1997

ED405980