Question

Achievement gaps, or differences in performance, exist between boys and girls and men and women. These gaps may relate to athletic performance, career choice or success, academic achievement, or general psychological measures such as cognitive abilities. The question that contemporary research seeks to answer is why these gaps exist and what can be done to lessen or eliminate them. One category of variables that can affect achievement is individual differences such as self-concept or attitudes. For instance, girls or boys may exhibit less self-confidence in academic domains that have been traditionally associated with success by the other sex. It is important to note that although these differences appear to arise internally, from the self, the environment (e.g., messages individuals receive about gender stereotypes or experiences they have) also influences individual differences. Biological and environmental influences do not exist in isolation from one another. Strong evidence exists for the influence of social factors, especially input from parents and educators, in affecting performance and interest in various domains, which can have a widespread and long-lasting influence.

A difficulty in studying achievement gaps is that sex and gender are not the only identities that affect achievement. Economic status, ethnicity, culture, and other facets of identity may interface with sex and gender to create complex dynamics. You may notice in your text that many studies report gender achievement gaps in certain areas for one ethnic group but not another, or in one age group but not another.

For this Discussion, you will examine one gender achievement gap in depth by explaining the factors that influence it and how it affects individuals and societies. In your response posts, you will share strategies that could be used to mitigate the gaps your colleagues discussed.

To prepare

• Review the individual difference factors and social factors that contribute to achievement gaps (e.g., the math gap) between boys and girls and men and women.
• Identify one achievement gap that you have experienced or witnessed, either in the classroom or in the workplace. Then, identify at least one individual difference factor and one social factor that appear to contribute to this achievement gap. Consider how this achievement gap influences both the individual and society as a whole.

By Day 4

Post a description of the achievement gap and the influencing factors (individual and social) you identified and how they affect you personally. Explain how this achievement gap is supported by gender stereotyping or gender-related socialization. Finally, explain how these achievement gaps may have implications for both individuals and society as a whole

Answer 1

Whenever we are with other’s we try to evaluate different people on the basis of their identities, gender and achievements they have. Social comparison is one the basic thing in which we evaluate one’s abilities and opinions and compare them with other. The most common comparison that exist is on the basis of gender. There are various factors that lead to achievement gaps between men and women. These achievement gaps are leads to success and failures not only at individual level but also at group level. The very formation of self concept is not entirely dependent on our roles that we masquerade on daily basis in the society but also by these success and failures and achievement gaps that individual experience. And many individual and group factors play an important role in this. One such achievement gap that I witness in males and females is achievement gap in math and statistics in which I found that the individual factor that the crucial role in this is the girls usually have low self esteem to those whom I have encountered towards maths and they perceive it as only important for examination purpose and to pass the exams they are more oriented towards future success and tend to give more preference to subject those that will help them in future jobs and so they want are less interested in it, on the other hand the boys whom I encounter are more excited towards an inclined to challenges and they feel an adrenaline rush when a complex mathematical problem arise which leads to these individual factors that I encounter when see such achievement gaps which although exist at minimal level and we cannot say all boys and girls are same. Further boys like to go for novel problem solving strategies and girls want to stick with usual class room method. If we talk about social factors we will find that somehow these social factors tend to influence these individual differences. Charles H. Cooley in the looking-glass self described that we use others as eyes as mirrors to perceive ourselves. And this further leads to formation of our self concept. When individual feel threatened by negative self-concept and stereotypes of others this further leads to individual difference and so further lead to achievement gap in females because they are perceived as low expectations for mathematics. Further this achievement gap leads to the factors that in the society the most influential mathematicians are male and further when parents try to send their children for coaching they prefer male teacher over female and this is how it further lead to more stereotype and at personal level it leads low self esteem among individuals and girls towards pursuing maths as a subject and so we see less female students in engineering class than males.

There are no achievement gaps that I have till now identified so can’t really post an description about it.