Effects of Psychosocial Factors on Gender Differences in First-Year College English and Mathematics Grades

Effects of Psychosocial Factors on Gender Differences in First-Year College English and Mathematics Grades ACT WORKING PAPER 2015-09 Edwin A. Ndum, PhD Jeff Allen, PhD Jason D. Way, PhD Alex Casillas, PhD December, 2015 ACT Working Paper Series ACT working papers document preliminary research. The papers are intended to promote discussion and feedback before formal publication. The research does not necessarily reflect the views of ACT. Edwin Ndum is research scientist in the Statistical and Applied Research. He does research on test reliability and validity, trends, student growth, and differential effects of psychosocial assessments. Jeff Allen is a statistician in the Research division at ACT. He specializes in longitudinal research linking test scores to educational outcomes and student growth models. Jason Way is a research psychologist in Career Transitions Research. He researches behavioral and psychosocial skills, including their relevance to important academic and work outcomes. Alex Casillas is a senior research psychologist in Research for Assessment and Learning, specializing in assessment design and behavioral predictors of performance and persistence. Abstract This study assessed the role of motivation, social engagement, and self- regulation as psychosocial factors that might help serve to explain gender disparities in first-year college grades. The 10 scales captured by these factors were administered to entering freshmen from 57 postsecondary institutions (54% female, 46% male), and at the end of the school year, we also obtained data on their grades in English (N = 10,581) and mathematics (N = 2,887). After applying multilevel modeling that statistically controlled for pre-college achievement, differences in admission policy, and type of institution, results indicated that all psychosocial constructs (i.e., motivation, self-regulation, and, to a lesser extent, social engagement) explained gender gaps in first-year grades to a statistically significant extent. Specifically, increases in motivation and self-regulation traits were associated with a reduction in the gender gap in grades. Turning to interaction effects, these study data were generally unsupportive (i.e., no support for gender differences in grades being dependent on psychosocial skills), except in one isolated case: The psychosocial constructs Commitment to College – an aspect of motivation that gauged commitment to staying in college and pursuing a degree – was predictive of males having higher average mathematics grades than women. Conclusions have implications for gender-informed intervention policies aimed at improving college achievement. Effects of Psychosocial Factors on Gender Differences in First-Year College English and Mathematics Grades Research has suggested that, although boys and girls started kindergarten with approximately comparable test scores, gender gaps in English and mathematics begin to appear as they proceed through elementary, middle, and high school: girls generally outperform boys in English courses, while boys tend to perform better in mathematics and science (Dee, 2006; Robinson & Lubienski, 2011). These performance gaps also surface in pre-college standardized assessments; with male students obtaining better composite test scores (Bielinski & Davison, 200; DeMars, 2000; Liu & Wilson, 2009). Thus, at least on the basis of test scores, males entered college better academically prepared to excel in credit-bearing freshman year courses than females students and are less likely to require remediation (Combs, Slate, Moore, Bustamante, Onwuegbuzie, & Edmonson, 2010; Lichtenberger, Dietrich, & Southern Illinois University, 2012; Mattern, Shaw, & Marini, 2013; Smithwick-Rodriguez, 2011). However, research consistently shows that female students earn significantly higher grades in first-year credit-bearing college English and mathematics courses. A meta-analysis of 37 studies concluded that female students earned higher grades than male students in English courses (Young, 2001). Several other more recent studies have continued to support this finding (e.g., Conger & Long, 2010; Lorah & Ndum, 2013; Voyer & Voyer, 2014). In regard to college mathematics courses, Young (2001) concluded that, across 21 studies, female students earned better grades than male students in mathematics courses, a finding that confirmed prior observations (e.g., Bridgeman & Wendler, 1991) and aligned with subsequent studies (e.g., Ding, Song, & Richardson, 2007; Lorah & Ndum, 2013). Whether in English or mathematics, these gender gaps may be rooted in different psychosocial behaviors in college. Psychosocial factors (PSFs) that affect regular attendance, doing homework, focusing on academic-related goals, or the overall classroom environment, could help explain gender differences in success to the extent that male and female students differ in these behaviors (Bembenutty, 2007; Newman, Groom,