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Teachers’ Expectations of Student Mathematics Achievement, and Student Mathematics Self-Efficacy in Aotearoa New Zealand Intermediate Schools: Do Teacher and Student Gender Make a Difference?

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Abstract

Student self-beliefs can shape their self-efficacy and influence achievement. Further, student self-beliefs can be influenced by teachers’ own beliefs and expectations for their students. Yet, the relations between teacher expectations, teacher and student gender, student mathematics achievement outcomes and self-efficacy have been little explored. Aotearoa New Zealand intermediate school students (n = 1314) and their teachers (n = 73) from three urban schools ranging in ethnicity and socioeconomic status, were surveyed at the beginning and end of one school year regarding their beliefs about and expectations of mathematics achievement, and student mathematics achievement was measured. ANOVAs determined that all teachers held greater expectations of their female as compared to male students’ mathematics achievement. No differences in self-efficacy to meet mathematics expectations or in self-efficacy to achieve in mathematics were demonstrated at the beginning of the year by student gender. However, boys exceeded girls in these regards by the years’ end. When student self-efficacy to meet expectations in mathematics was examined by teacher gender, male students demonstrated greater levels than female students at both year points in female teachers’ classes, suggesting the influence of teacher gender on student beliefs. Greater self-efficacy in mathematics organisation was evidenced for female students in both male and female teachers’ classes. Interestingly, no statistically significant difference in student mathematics achievement was noted by student gender either between or within the classes of male and female teachers. Student mathematics self-beliefs and achievement outcomes, their association with teacher and student gender, and implications for student futures are discussed.

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Notes

  1. Decile ratings for all schools were based on school socioeconomic status and minority group composition from Decile 1 (low socioeconomic) to Decile 10 (high socioeconomic), such that 10% of schools fell into each decile. In 2023 the decile rating system was replaced with the Equity Index (https://parents.education.govt.nz/primary-school/schooling-in-nz/ministry-funding-deciles/).

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Funding

Early Career Research Excellence Award (ECREA) funding was awarded to the second author from the University of Auckland.

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  1. School of Learning, Development and Professional Practice, Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92601, Auckland, 1150, New Zealand

    Penelope W. St J. Watson & Christine M. Rubie-Davies

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  1. Penelope W. St J. Watson
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  2. Christine M. Rubie-Davies
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Penelope Watson and Christine Rubie-Davies. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Penelope Watson and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Penelope W. St J. Watson.

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Watson, P.W.S.J., Rubie-Davies, C.M. Teachers’ Expectations of Student Mathematics Achievement, and Student Mathematics Self-Efficacy in Aotearoa New Zealand Intermediate Schools: Do Teacher and Student Gender Make a Difference?. NZ J Educ Stud (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40841-023-00303-5

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