The effect of math SAT on women's chemistry competency beliefs

Abstract

In chemistry, lack of academic preparation and math ability have been offered as explanations as to why women seem to enroll, perform, and graduate at lower levels than men. In this paper, we explore the alternative possibility that the gender gap in chemistry instead originates from differential gender effects of academic factors on students’ motivation. Using a sample of approximately 670 students enrolled in a mid-sized university in the United States we conducted: (1)t-tests to understand incoming academic differences between freshman students by gender, (2) regression analysis to determine which academic and attitudinal factors predict success in General Chemistry 1, and (3) a mediation analysis to understand the underlying mechanisms of how academic performance affects students’ beliefs about their competency in chemistry, which in turn has an effect on chemistry achievement. We demonstrate the importance of math ability as a contributor to chemistry achievement, but further that ability differences in math are important because they affect students’ chemistry competency beliefs. Critically, this link between ability and competency beliefs is stronger for women than men. These results suggest that interventions geared towards improving women's chemistry competency beliefs could have an important influence in improving their achievement in the classroom, and in consequence reduce the gender gap in chemistry.

Damage caused by women’s lower self-efficacy on physics learning

“…For example, the number of mathematics courses taken in high school is a strong independent predictor of students' college achievements in introductory science courses [49]. Likewise, research suggests that high school math grades and SAT math scores can predict college physics course success [50][51][52]. In one study, high school preparation in math was found to be the strongest predictor of students' physics grades in college [8].…”

“…In our model, we use the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) math scores as a predictor variable, which ranged from 400 to 800 and is designed to predict first-year university performance. Prior research suggests that students may overgeneralize the implications of their performance on the SAT, believing that lower math SAT scores imply lower ability for physical sciences [52].…”

Self‐beliefs in organic chemistry: Evaluation of a reciprocal causation, cross‐lagged model

“…In the case of postsecondary chemistry, self-concept holds predictive ability over performance when controlling for other known success predictors such as SAT math scores (Lewis et al, 2009). The relationship from previous achievement to subsequent measures of self-concept is also supported through empirical studies (e.g., Doran & Sellers, 1978;Helmke & van Aken, 1995;Vincent-Ruz, Binning, Schunn, & Grabowski, 2018). Research at the elementary level has established support for the reciprocal influence of self-concept and achievement in the general context (Guay, Marsh, & Boivin, 2003) and the math context (Marsh, Trautwein, Lüdtke, Köller, & Baumert, 2005) along with other measures, such as math anxiety (Ahmed, Minnaert, Kuyper, & van der Werf, 2012).…”

Locating and understanding the largest gender differences in pathways to science degrees

“…Reports on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) have shown that performance differences across the test vary by gender, with a large score advantage to men in the math section, a large advantage to women in the writing section, and relatively small differences in the verbal section (Mattern, Camara, & Kobrin, ). Students may internalize the scores they receive on the SAT as fundamental statements about aptitude in (or out of) science (Vincent‐Ruz, Binning, Schunn, & Grabowski, ). Alternatively, these aptitude estimates could be predictors of course performance, which then drives beliefs about disciplinary aptitude.…”