Age and gender differences in mathematics learning during school transition

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to explore age and gender differences in motivational (mathematics value and self-concept), emotional (mathematics anxiety), and cognitive (learning strategies and performance) aspects of mathematics functioning in a large representative sample of Croatian students (N = 2749; 56% girls, mean age = 14.58) during the transition from elementary to high school. The students’ values and self-concept in mathematics, mathematics anxiety, and perceived use of mathematics learning strategies were assessed using online self-report questionnaires. Teacher-created tasks were used for performance assessment. The results revealed a decrease in mathematics motivation and performance during school transition. Older students valued mathematics less than younger students, had less positive mathematics self-concept, less frequently used learning strategies, and had lower mathematics performance. No main effect of age/grade on mathematics anxiety was found. Boys had a more positive mathematics self-concept but used learning strategies less often than girls. Moreover, interaction effects of age and gender were found. High school girls showed lower performance but higher anxiety than boys. Future research should focus on examining the efficiency of interventions tailored to prevent a decline in mathematics motivation and performance during the transition periods, especially for girls.

KEYWORDS:

• Mathematics learning
• mathematics value
• mathematics self-concept
• learning strategies
• anxiety
• mathematics performance

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge all school research coordinators, teachers, colleagues, and especially students participating in e-Schools project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, BRZ, upon reasonable request.

Notes

¹ Eight-year elementary education in the Republic of Croatia is compulsory and free for all children between the ages of six and fifteen. Following elementary education, secondary (high school) education enables students to acquire knowledge and skills required for work or continuation of education (Ministry of Science and Education, n.d., Croatia).

² In the USA, the first years of compulsory schooling are called elementary or primary. Primary education starts at the age of five. Secondary school generally takes place in a high school, which is often divided into junior (also called Middle School), for students aged 11 to 14 and senior high, for students aged 15 to 18 (Corsi-Bunker, n.d.).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Rijeka under Grant Personal and contextual determinants of learning and teaching different age groups [uniri-drustv-18-191].

Notes on contributors

Barbara Rončević Zubković

Barbara Rončević Zubković is Assistant Professor at Department of Psychology, University of Rijeka Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Croatia. Her research interests focus on self-regulated learning and ICT in education.

Rosanda Pahljina-Reinić

Rosanda Pahljina-Reinić is Assistant Professor at Department of Psychology, University of Rijeka Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Croatia. Her research interests focus on achievement motivation, self-regulation and the implementation of effective learning environments.

Svjetlana Kolić-Vehovec

Svjetlana Kolić-Vehovec is Professor of Educational Psychology at the Department of Psychology, University of Rijeka Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Croatia. Her research interests are related to metacognition, motivation and learning, as well as using ICT in education.