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Attributional gender bias: teachers’ ability and effort explanations for students’ math performance

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Abstract

Research is presented on the attributional gender bias: the tendency to generate different attributions (explanations) for female versus male students’ performance in math. Whereas boys’ successes in math are attributed to ability, girls’ successes are attributed to effort; conversely, boys’ failures in math are attributed to a lack of effort and girls’ failures to a lack of ability. This bias has been shown in previous research to be committed by teachers, parents, and students themselves. The present work sought to investigate whether this bias among secondary school math teachers might be reduced over time through adoption of an incremental theory of intelligence. Findings revealed at baseline, teachers committed the expected bias in reference to their high-achieving students’ math performance. Following exposure to stimuli, teachers in both experimental and control conditions reduced this bias. Unexpectedly, teachers across conditions showed a type of compensation for the bias by reversing stereotypical attributions for girls’ and boys’ successes and failures in math. Further, participants relapsed to the original bias nearly a year later. Findings indicate the potential to modify attributional gender bias, but also the challenges for achieving long-term changes within school contexts and for emphasizing effort beyond ability in math performance.

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Acknowledgments

This manuscript is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. HRD-0624670. Thank you to Kimberly Carrillo and Yvette Baca for contributing to data collection for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Educational Leadership and Foundations, College of Education, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX, 79968, USA

    Penelope Espinoza

  2. Department of Psychology, Penn State Beaver, 03K Ross Administration Building, 100 University Drive, Monaca, PA, 15061-2799, USA

    Ana B. Arêas da Luz Fontes

  3. Department of Psychology, 210E Goodwyn Hall, Auburn University Montgomery, P.O. Box 244023, Montgomery, AL, 36124, USA

    Clarissa J. Arms-Chavez

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  1. Penelope Espinoza
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  2. Ana B. Arêas da Luz Fontes
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  3. Clarissa J. Arms-Chavez
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Correspondence to Penelope Espinoza.

Appendix

Appendix

1.1 ABI sample items

Success item for a high-achieving student

A.B. might score high on the end-of-course exam because....

  • __ she easily mastered the course material.

  • __ she studied hard before the exam.

  • __ she is a relatively good test taker.

  • __ she asked for help in preparing for the exam.

Failure item for a high-achieving student

A.B. might drop the advanced math class because....

  • __ she sometimes has a difficult time mastering concepts quickly.

  • __ she did not want to put extra effort into an advanced course.

  • __ she had trouble integrating the concepts from basic math courses.

  • __ she was bothered by the amount of homework involved with the course.

Success item for a low-achieving student

A.B. might raise the final grade to a “B” average because....

  • __ she found the assignments interesting and was able to focus.

  • __ she began meeting with a peer tutor.

  • __ she has the ability to do well in the subject.

  • __ she joined a study group of “A” students.

Failure item for a low-achieving student

A.B. might receive failing grades on two assignments because....

  • __ she had difficulty with the unit being covered.

  • __ she rushed through the assignments.

  • __ she generally struggles with math as a whole.

  • __ she did not review the sample problems.

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Espinoza, P., Arêas da Luz Fontes, A.B. & Arms-Chavez, C.J. Attributional gender bias: teachers’ ability and effort explanations for students’ math performance. Soc Psychol Educ 17, 105–126 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-013-9226-6

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