ERIC Number: ED359236
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1993-Apr
Pages: 18
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Gender-Related Differences in Problem Solving at the 6th and 8th Grade Levels.
Zambo, Ron; Follman, John
Potential gender-related differences in the process of mathematical word problem solving were investigated. Sixth and eighth graders (n=302) solved 2-step mathematical word problems using a 9-step problem solving plan. The nine steps were: (1) identify the facts; (2) identify the question; (3) draw a diagram; (4) choose the operations; (5) write an open sentence; (6) estimate the answer; (7) compute the answer; (8) state the answer; and (9) validate the answer. A 2 x 2 between-subjects multivariate analysis of variance was computed to determine the effects of gender and grade level on the subjects' scores on each of the nine steps of the problem solving plan. There was a significant gender-related difference in the overall process of problem solving in favor of females. Univariate "F"'s for each of the nine steps were not significant. Although there were no significant differences at any of the individual steps, the combined use of the same steps produced a gender-related difference. It is concluded that the use of a step-by-step problem solving plan might be gender biased. (Author/SLD)
Descriptors: Age Differences, Analysis of Variance, Elementary School Students, Estimation (Mathematics), Grade 6, Grade 8, Intermediate Grades, Junior High School Students, Junior High Schools, Middle School Students, Middle Schools, Multivariate Analysis, Problem Solving, Scores, Sex Bias, Sex Differences, Test Bias, Word Problems (Mathematics)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (Atlanta, GA, April 12-16, 1993).