Explaining academic‐track boys’ underachievement in language grades: Not a lack of aptitude but students’ motivational beliefs and parents’ perceptions?

Heyder, Anke; Kessels, Ursula; Steinmayr, Ricarda

doi:10.1111/bjep.12145

Cited by 51 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…These findings highlight that male students’ motivational deficits in foreign language study are partially rooted in their socially acquired masculine identities. Since previous studies have shown that male students’ underachievement in language classes is probably due to a lack of motivation but not a lack of aptitude (Heyder, Kessels, & Steinmayr, 2017), our results provide additional support for the importance of social psychological mechanisms for men’s achievement in this domain.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Why don’t “real men” learn languages? Masculinity threat and gender ideology suppress men’s language learning motivation

Chaffee

Lou

Noels

et al. 2019

Group Processes & Intergroup Relations

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Large gender disparities in participation still exist across many university subjects and career fields, but few studies have examined factors that account for gender gaps in female-dominated disciplines. We examine one possible cause: threatened masculinity among men who hold traditional gender ideologies. Past research has linked endorsement of traditional gender ideologies to gender-stereotypical occupational choices, and threats to masculinity can lead men to distance themselves from femininity. After confirming that 1,672 undergraduates stereotyped language learning as feminine, we applied a masculinity threat manipulation to investigate 182 men’s disinterest in studying foreign languages, a female-dominated university subject. Men with traditional masculinity ideologies reported less interest in foreign language study and less positive attitudes towards foreign languages following masculinity threat, compared to men whose masculinity was affirmed or who held less traditional masculinity beliefs. Traditional masculine gender roles may lead some men to avoid feminine-typed domains, such as foreign language learning.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Why don’t “real men” learn languages? Masculinity threat and gender ideology suppress men’s language learning motivation

Chaffee

Lou

Noels

et al. 2019

Group Processes & Intergroup Relations

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“…A variety of empirical studies has found that girls' ability self-concept and intrinsic motivation in math were significantly lower than boys' (e.g., Watt 2006) although gender differences in average math achievement (e.g., Else-Quest et al 2010) or the perceived usefulness of math (e.g., Watt 2006) were relatively weak or nonexistent. In the verbal domain, by contrast, boys reported a lower ability self-concept (e.g., Heyder et al 2017) and lower intrinsic motivation (e.g., Durik et al 2006) than girls which is in line with their lower reading competencies (e.g., Reilly et al 2019) or language grades (e.g., Heyder et al 2017). Supporting EVT, these gender differences in domain-specific motivation evolved into substantial gender differences in career aspiration and choices, like course-choices in high school (e.g., Wang and Degol 2013), career goals, and career attainment later on (e.g., Lauermann et al 2017).…”

Section: Gender Differences In Math and Language Motivationmentioning

confidence: 98%

Only a Burden for Females in Math? Gender and Domain Differences in the Relation Between Adolescents’ Fixed Mindsets and Motivation

Heyder

Weidinger

Steinmayr

2020

J Youth Adolescence

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Gendered occupational and educational choices have often been traced back to gender differences in students’ domain-specific ability self-concept and intrinsic motivation. This study explored the role of believing in an “innate” math or language arts ability (i.e., having a fixed mindset) for gender differences in students’ ability self-concept and intrinsic motivation in 423 female (49%) and 447 male (51%) tenth graders from Germany (age M = 16.09 years, SD = 0.68, range: 14–18 years). In line with math-male stereotypes, believing in “innate” math ability was associated with lower ability self-concept and intrinsic motivation in female but not male students. In language arts, students’ mindsets were unrelated to their motivation. The results suggest that a fixed mindset presents an additional burden for female students in math, but not for male or female students in language arts.

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“…Esta posición se revela como un tema polémico a nivel epistemológico, político y social, ya que cuestiona la validez científica del conocimiento en el cual se sustenta, critica las políticas y medidas que se han generado con base en el diagnóstico construido y, finalmente, invalida el panorama social y de género (Griffin, 2008;Heyder et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Factores asociados a la brecha de género en lectura entre estudiantes de establecimientos de enseñanza secundaria en Chile

Salinas

Aranguren

Bulnes

et al. 2020

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Este artículo presenta los resultados de una investigación sobre brecha de género en 10 establecimientos mixtos de enseñanza secundaria en Chile. Su objetivo es analizar los factores que permitieron mejorar los resultados de aprendizaje de lenguaje y lectura de los estudiantes varones y reducir la brecha de género. Se utilizó metodología cualitativa, estudio de casos múltiples y análisis integrado del conjunto de casos, con el fin de destacar similitudes y diferencias. Un hallazgo central es que tanto en los establecimientos en que se redujo la brecha, como en los que se mantuvo o aumentó, los resultados no se pueden atribuir a una decisión institucional de incorporar políticas y prácticas que afecten el orden de género y las brechas; los establecimientos que lograron reducirla reafirman dicho orden en sus prácticas, al estimular la competencia entre los estudiantes varones y al inculcar el respeto por las disposiciones escolares y familiares.

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Explaining academic‐track boys’ underachievement in language grades: Not a lack of aptitude but students’ motivational beliefs and parents’ perceptions?

Abstract: Our results challenge the stereotypic belief that boys' lower grades are due to lower verbal aptitude. Rather, students' motivational beliefs and parents' perceptions seem critical factors. Implications for both future research and practice are discussed.

Cited by 51 publications

References 82 publications

Why don’t “real men” learn languages? Masculinity threat and gender ideology suppress men’s language learning motivation

Why don’t “real men” learn languages? Masculinity threat and gender ideology suppress men’s language learning motivation

Only a Burden for Females in Math? Gender and Domain Differences in the Relation Between Adolescents’ Fixed Mindsets and Motivation

Factores asociados a la brecha de género en lectura entre estudiantes de establecimientos de enseñanza secundaria en Chile

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