• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.492-501
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• 2006

Gender differences in TIMSS 2003 science achievement by item type, benchmark, and content area were examined by producing a Gender Differences Index (GDI) in this study. International trends identified that male students performed better than female students in TIMSS 2003 science achievement in all types of items. The overall achievement of Korean male students was better than Korean female students, especially in multiple-choice type items. Male students outperformed females in three benchmarks, including advanced, high, and intermediate international benchmark, but they did not outperform females in the low international benchmark when gender differences of the international average as well as the Korean average were taken into account. The results of the analysis of the international average and the Korean average by content area showed that gender differences were the greatest in earth science and smallest in chemistry. In life science, female students excelled when considering the international average while male students excelled when considering the average of Korean students' performance. In addition, the number of items in which male students outperformed females was larger in both factual knowledge and the conceptual understanding domain. Implications for reducing gender differences in science achievement in Korea based on the results were provided.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.525-539
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• 2002

The purpose of the study was to assess science achievement of 11th grade students. Science achievement was assessed in knowledge and inquiry domains. The knowledge domain included three sub-areas including memory, understanding and application. The inquiry domain was divided into four sub-areas involving identifying problems, designing inquiry, data analysis and drawing conclusions. The results indicated that overall science achievement of the 11th grade students who participated in the study was at the proficient level. Regarding the knowledge domain, the achievement in the understanding and application areas was at the proficient level, and the achievement in the memory area was at the basic level. In the inquiry domain, the achievement in all the sub-areas except the identifying problems area which was at the basic level was at the proficient level. There were no gender differences in overall science achievement. However, gender differences were found in all the sub-areas except the application area and varied across the sub-areas. Also, there were significant differences in science achievement among regions.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to determine the patterns of differences between genders in science achievement. Eleventh grade, 140 female and male students were sampled from a school in Seoul. According to the analysis results of pilot study, 20 items were finally selected for the main study. To sharpen our interpretations of the factors and provide some confirmation, we supplemented the statistical analysis with a more detailed cognitive study of the items using think-aloud protocols and interviews with student test takers. The analysis of this study took into account the different item formats, contexts, and presentation styles. The findings are as follows: First, there was no significant gender difference between multiple-choice and open-ended items. Second, male students achieved significantly better in the context of everyday life in multiple-choice items. Third, male students favored items presented as written texts. Fourth, in problem-solving process, female students tend to apply their science concepts, whereas male students tend to apply their everyday experiences. The results of this investigation indicate that gender difference in science achievement depends heavily on item characteristics.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.138-146
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• 2013

This study examined the characteristics of the National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA) in Science according to gender. It investigated gender achievement differences in the science section of the 2010 NAEA, the ratio of gender difference in achievement, the ratio of correct answers within each content domain and behavioral domain, and the items which showed high differences between males and females. The results indicate first, that, for 9th graders, females outperformed males in academic achievement in science. Second, with respect to the ratio of correct answers, males outperformed females in the advanced and below basic level groups, but females outperformed males in intermediate level groups. Third, females outperformed males in knowledge and inquiry in the behavior domains, and in chemistry and biology in the content domains. Fourth, an analysis of the items showing the largest gender gap indicated that males outperformed females in interpreting data, while females outperformed males in the items concerned with daily life and items related to the memorization of rules. This research on gender differences in science will allow teachers to complement the weaknesses of students when they study science, and support improved instructional methods in science.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.207-220
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to verify the trends of Korean students' achievement of earth science, especially the gender differences, in recent two international comparative studies, TIMSS-R (The Third International Mathematics and Science Study-Repeat) and PISA 2000 (Programme for International Student Assessment). To achieve this purpose, the 33 earth science items in TIMSS-R and 13 earth and environmental science items in PISA 2000 were analyzed. As a result of the comparison between Korean- and international percent correct, Korean students showed especially higher achievement in close-ended items or items required 'understanding of simple information.' Korean students, in particular Korean male students, also showed higher achievement in items of data interpretation. On the other hand, Korean students, in particular Korean female students, showed relatively lower achievement in astronomy items. The serious gender differences occurred in all aspects of items, regardless of item content, item format, and performance expectations.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.1235-1244
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• 2004

The purpose of the study was to produce resources to help develop instructional methods and programs for school science to reduce gender differences in science achievement by analyzing TIMSS-R results according to item type, benchmark, and content category. Korean male students performed higher than Korean female students and gender differences of Korean students were higher than international means in all item types including multiple-choice, short answer, and extended response type. GDI(Gender Difference Index) of Korean students was lower than international mean in top 10% benchmark but higher than international means in other benchmarks. Korean male students also exhibited higher performance than Korean female students in all content categories except scientific inquiry and the nature of science category. Regarding items that GDIs were higher than 10, the number of items belonged to life science and earth science category was relatively larger and a high percentage of them was not included in school science curriculum. In addition, the items were equally distributed in each performance category. In sum, the study showed various gender differences according to item type, benchmark, and content category. The results could be used to find appropriate instructional methods to reduce gender differences in science achievement.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.141-149
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• 2003

This study investigated the effect of gender grouping on cooperative learning on the basis of student achievement and science-teaming attitude. Homogeneous and heterogeneous gender groupings were used in the treatment groups for the learning strategies of earth science. Traditional instruction was performed for the control group. Three classes at a middle school were assigned to the groups. Before the treatment instruction, a questionnaire about science-learning attitude was administered to 144 students, and their scores were utilized as covariate. Then, the same questionnaire was given with a test of science achievement designed in this study. The changes in both achievement and attitude among the three groups were analyzed statistically. Significant differences were not shown in science achievement or in the difference of gender with respect to perceptions about science. There were significant changes between the homogeneous and heterogeneous gender grouping in their attitudes toward science instruction. Here the cooperative learning group, regardless of the gender grouping, tends to exhibit more positive perceptions towards their learning environment than the control group, particularly in female students.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.265-275
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences of science achievement between female- and male students in different assessment types, expecting the reconsideration of their scientific ability. to accomplish this purpose, the school science achievement score of 1,487 female- and male students in 2000 were analyzed from the perspectives of assessment methods and gender differences, achievement level and gender differences, and gender characteristics in correlation between each assessment type and total science score. The science achievement score in this study includes mi-term and final paper-and-pencil test in two semesters and performance assessment. The results are as follows. First, in the total science achievement score, whereas female students achieved significantly better than male counterparts in the 7th grade, there was no significant difference between two genders in the 8th and 9th grades. Second, as for the close-ended items, all students, regardless of their gender and grade, showed no significant difference. As for the open-ended items, whereas female students achieved significantly better than male counterparts in the 7th grade, there was no significant difference between gender in the 8th and 9th grades. As for the performance assessment, all female students, regardless of their achievement level, achieved significant better than male counterparts, which is very noteworthy. Third, in the uppermost achievement level, there was no significant difference not only in close- and open ended items but also in performance assessment. Fourth, male students' correlation between performance assessment and total science score was relatively higher than female students'. The result of this study, that female students did significantly better than male students in performance assessment, is interesting in that performance assessment is widely accepted as more reliable and valid method in measuring students' various ability than traditional paper-and-pencil test.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1110-1120
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of gender differences in students' mathematics and science learning ability. The sample included 289 elementary and secondary school gifted teachers. The teachers filled out the survey, asking their perceptions of gender differences in mathematics and science learning ability, as well as of the reasons of the differences. The results were as follows: 1) 65% of the teachers responded that gender differences existed in students' mathematics and science learning ability, 2) 63% of the teachers perceived that the differences began around higher elementary or middle school ages, 3) 57% of the teachers thought that gender differences existed in the high-achieving student group. Teachers perceived the reasons of differences were 1) differences in inborn ability, 2) the different expectation, and 3) the different ways of parental cares. Since teachers' perceptions of students' ability would impact teachers' attitudes on students, implications and suggestions were included in this article to provide teachers insights that promote students' better learning.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.327-336
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• 1998

The purposes of this study were to investigate 6th-graders' use of cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategies in usual learning and testing situations, and to compare the difference in the use of the strategies by students' science achievement, learning motivation, and gender. The relationship among these strategies, science achievement, and learning motivation were also examined, and the portion of variance of explanation for achievement score was studied by a multiple regression analysis. The results showed that high-achieving students used more cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategies in usual learning and more cognitive strategies in testing situations than low-achieving students. Highly motivated students used more cognitive and metacognitive strategies than poorly motivated students in all situations. Elementary female students used more learning strategies than male students in usual learning. On the other hand, no gender differences was found to be significant in the use of strategies in testing situations. These learning strategies were significantly correlated with the science achievement and motivation scores. The cognitive strategies in usual learning accounted for the significant portion of the variance of the achievement score. Educational implications are discussed.