HOW TO IMPROVE STUDENT PERFORMANCE WITH A FOCUS ON MATH BY FOSTERING POSITIVE SELF-ESTEEM AND CREATING AWARENESS OF GENDER ISSUES

Liana Thompson, Grand Erie District School Board, May 2000

What Is The Question, Why Is It Important

School Profile

Opening a new school is a tremendous task. The time, effort, and commitment of the staff, students, and parents is always to be commended. At times the most obvious yet crucial roadblocks to student learning can be overlooked, primarily due to lack of knowledge about the general attitudes and perceptions of the student body.

Lynndale Heights Public School is located in Simcoe, Ontario, a town with an approximate population of 15 000. The school provides services for Junior-Kindergarten to Grade 8 classrooms. The student body of 260 individuals was formed from five philosophically different feeder schools. Lynndale is located in a quiet subdivision that had been originally designed to accommodate families from all social classes. The student population reflects this diversity. Academic achievement, behaviour, and attitude vary significantly with family support.

Our Action Research Project

Diane Clark, the Grade 6 teacher and I, the Grade 7 and Resource K - 8 teacher, were interested in the results of the 1998 - 1999 EQAO Provincial Assessment Results for Grade 6. Diane had taught 27 of the 42 students the previous year and I was now teaching the remaining 15.

It came to our immediate attention, after reviewing the results, that a conspicuous difference was displayed between male and female attitudes towards math. The percentage of girls who said they liked math was 33%, as compared to the boys 73%. Also, the difference in attitude between males and females when asked if they were good at math was pronounced - girls 33% and boys 80% (Appendix 1). What held the greatest impact were the factual results when concrete test scores were tallied for achievement levels. Looking only at Level 3 results in all the math strands, 11 out of 14 girls (79%) were working at this level, as compared to 10 out of 14 boys (71%). Upon further perusal, we found that once again girls achieved Level 4 scores on a more consistent basis than the boys (Appendix 2). After some discussion, we noted that student perception about mathematics was not indicative of actual performance, particularly in the case of female pupils. Accordingly, we decided to conduct some research around the question,

"What is the stimulus to foster positive attitudes for girls towards the importance of math and science in their lives?"

Because math and science are linked so closely in the provincial curriculum, we decided to include science in our research, assuming that as we progressed we would discover similar perceptual differences towards science among boys and girls in our classrooms.

Data Collection

Formative Assessment

In order to show evidence around the felt need and to legitimize our research, we began by discussing the Grade 6 attitudes survey results with our staff members. It was agreed upon that a need for further research was appropriate. It was decided that TAG groups, which consist of Grades 6, 7, and 8 students, would be reorganized into single gender groupings for the purposes of our research until further notice. Diane and I chose girl groupings. All students were given a teacher compiled math questionnaire to be completed during one full TAG session, with the assurance of confidentiality (Appendix 3) They were asked to answer every question and to be completely honest. After questionnaires were completed and conclusions were recorded (Appendix 4), we scanned report card marks from the first term to determine actual student performance.

The results of the questionnaire combined with first term report card marks corresponded to the provincial results. Once again we found that female perception towards mathematics was very poor even though performance was good, if not excellent. We also found that boys perceived themselves to be strong math students, who enjoyed the problem solving challenges even though success was moderate when compared to the girls. We assembled the qualitative data for easy reference (Appendix 5 and 5a)

The need for some action had been established. At the next TAG session we discussed the Grade 6 survey questions and asked the students to predict response percentages for each. I had assumed most girls would predict low percentages for female responses, but it was a surprise to find that they accurately anticipated the boys’ high percentage of positive responses. When asked why they assumed the boys would respond so favourably to these questions, the answer was, "boys think they’re great", "they have huge egos", and "they think they can do anything". I then prompted the girls to explain why girls feel so negatively towards math in general. The overall response was "it’s boring", "it’s too hard", and "what will we use it for in the future anyway?" I showed the girls the overhead of the provincial survey results and they smiled, feeling quite satisfied that they had predicted correctly. I continued the discussion by providing the overall summary of actual performance on the test and this surprised them. They were quite shocked to learn that the girls had out-performed the boys on the math section of the test. I then posed the question, "Why do girls have such a negative attitude towards math?" None could give me an answer.

I began to realize the all-encompassing, societal and cultural basis for the discrepancies in student attitudes towards mathematics. The girls themselves did not know why they didn’t like math, or why they felt they did poorly in math. Upon reflection, I realized that in parent/teacher interviews parents, especially mothers, often complained that they couldn’t help their child with math homework because it was "never a strong subject" for them. The project that we were undertaking seemed to balloon and become overwhelming at this point. I realized that not only student attitudes had to change, societal attitudes needed adjustment as well.

What Was Done, What Was Found Out

Corrective Feedback - Part 1

Following the feedback - feedforward philosophy (Sutton, 1997), Diane and I began to plan ways in which to foster a more positive attitude towards math among our female students. Our topic question was changing in that we decided to omit any focus on science at this time. It would just be too great an undertaking. The question became,

"What measures can be taken in the classroom in order to foster positive self-esteem among female students in order to improve math marks?"

The single-gender TAG group became an implemental part in our ability to carry out our research. During TAG, discussions were held about test scores, self-esteem, traditional and non-traditional career opportunities for males and females, and the classroom environment. Some female comments regarding provincial and classroom mathematics test scores were, "I can’t believe we did better than the boys!" and "I’m not good at math because it’s boring", in comparison to the common male response to test score results "It was pure luck the girls did better than us. Are you sure someone didn’t make a mistake with those scores?"

When the subject of careers and career choices was broached, many girls admitted that they would like to be a lawyer, or a police officer, but felt that these jobs were "mostly for men". To encourage thought expansion regarding job choice, the staff decided to allow students to attend a career fair with their TAG groups at the local high school. Before the fair, I provided the TAG group with a list of traditional and non-traditional careers for men and women. We discussed the list and I asked them to choose three of the careers on the sheet, or add their choice if it wasn’t listed; as these were the booths they should try to visit and for which to form questions to ask when they attended the fair. Invariably, the girls chose careers they were interested in and for which they felt they had a natural talent. Many of the boys, however, based their career choices on the following two comments, "I know I can do anything I want in life as long as I try and work hard" and "Just tell me the top five highest paying jobs and then tell me what I need to do to get one of them".

The girls also admitted that self-esteem was generally low for females in their age group (11 - 14) and boys usually were quite confident and self-assured. Many blamed it on the media and its portrayal of the unattainable "perfect female" in our society, or the myth of the subservient caretaker role model that was often perpetuated on television and in the movies. Others felt that they were taught at home at a very early age, perhaps not intentionally but very subtly, that girls just weren’t good at math or science-type projects, but better at English and other languages-based subjects. Still others blamed low self-esteem on the male members of their classrooms, citing incidents of teasing and taunts such as, "what a stupid answer" or feeling very self-conscious that they were acting "smart" thus "not cool" when raising their hands to answer questions. Many girls felt that the boys were just better at math, so it made sense to allow them to "run" math discussion time.

Again, my thoughts began reeling as to just where the actual problem lay. The more we dug, the more I found that low self-esteem in general was causing problems throughout much of the academic success of adolescent girls. Boosting the self-esteem of as many girls as possible seemed to be in order. During TAG I tried to stroke their weakened egos and assure them that they were all strong, interesting people with much to provide to all classroom discussion. I encouraged them to begin to take risks in the classroom by participating more in math, contributing ideas and taking on leadership roles.

Because some improvement in self-concept was noted during the TAG sessions, Diane and I approached the staff and asked them if they would be willing to arrange all classroom group activities into single gender groups for term two. This was agreed upon, and it was interesting to note that female student reactions in the various grades were markedly different. The Grade 6 girls welcomed the chance to feel less stress and more confidence when answering questions without the pressure of a male presence. All-girl groups seemed to be a wonderful prospect. The Grade 8 girls didn’t really respond much to the change verbally, but a slight increase in self-confidence was noted during discussion and brainstorming activities. The Grade 7girls, oddly enough, were quite indignant and taken aback when they found that they would be working in single gender groupings for all classroom activities for term two. Comments were made such as "this is going to be boring", "we need the challenge of the boys in our group" and "why are we doing this, because in the real world we’ll have to learn to work with boys".

Throughout the second term, observations of classroom atmosphere during group activities were recorded informally by the Grades 6, 7, and 8 teachers. At the end of the term a meeting was held to discuss these anecdotal records and academic achievement. Overall, the Grade 6 girls were achieving higher marks in math than they had been previously and their preference for working in single gender groups was evident. They were more confident, self-assured, and routinely bringing in articles to the classroom teacher about gender bias in our society. They were becoming more aware of their capabilities and responding to challenges in their environment. Academically they were improving. The boys in the classroom maintained their self-confidence, but fewer boys achieved level 3 marks in term two than had been the case in term one. The Grade 8 girls showed much improvement in their self-confidence when working in single gender groups, but academically remained the same. The Grade 8 boys maintained their self-assurance, but once again marks dropped slightly. Unfortunately, once working in a whole class environment, the improvement in risk-taking behaviour among the girls seemed to be lost, as once again the boys dominated classroom discussion. The self-confidence and academic achievement in Grade 7 girls seemed to remain the same, while the boys in Grade 7 weakened slightly academically with no difference noted in their attitudes. The Grade 7 classrooms were very happy to find that single gender groupings were no longer necessary at the end of term two.

It seemed to be an insurmountable task. How could we expect to change eleven to fourteen years of societal and cultural conditioning in only a few months? And by changing student attitudes at school, did we have any effect on attitudes and beliefs being perpetuated at home that may be contradictory and eventually damaging to the self-esteem of the girls? And just whose attitudes needed to be altered anyway, the girls or the boys?

Corrective Feedback - Part 2

The question was changing again. Self-confidence and gender issues were very tightly intertwined and both were determined greatly by societal and cultural factors, not school lessons. It seemed imperative that both needed to be addressed before improvements could be made in academic achievement for boys or girls.

I realized the need for teachers, other colleagues, and parents to be made aware of gender stereotypes, sexist language, and other so-called "power" biases that exist in our society and the effect each has on student performance. I chose to modify the question again,

"Will fostering positive self-esteem and creating awareness of gender issues improve student performance, especially in math?"

It became obvious that staff members and others in the teaching profession needed to be educated on the power of societal beliefs towards gender issues. In order to get a handle on how to approach colleagues effectively, Diane and I spent some time with Bob Ogilvie, Intermediate Teacher Consultant with the Grand Erie District School Board. Acting the role of critical friend, Bob was instrumental in helping us to see that we were working in an effective way with staff members by discussing our research, asking them to take part whenever possible, and asking for their feedback. He made the point that we didn’t want to "overdo it" and be too forceful because this would push attitudes in the opposite direction. We encouraged those staff members who were interested to continue to be aware of gender issues in the classroom and strive for equality during classroom discussion, activities, and when assigning "odd jobs". Many girls were now being asked to stack chairs, dig sand pits, and move paper stacks, while boys were being asked to decorate classroom bulletin boards and to participate in activities that were traditionally thought of as "girl jobs".

We brought our research to the attention of the school community council and the parent group. Again, we didn’t push too hard. Awareness of the issues was what we were seeking, knowing that a change in attitude may or may not develop in the future. We provided a list of Christmas gift suggestions parents could draw upon to encourage greater interest in math and science for both boys and girls (Appendix 6). A bulletin board in the hallway was developed with the title "What Do You Think About Gender Issues?" Students were encouraged to find articles at home on their own or with parents that displayed positive gender attitudes for males and females. Science and math websites to promote interest among teen girls were posted, along with articles about positive female role models in traditionally "male" occupations. An article about International Women’s Day around the world also found its way to the bulletin board.

Diane and I participated in the "Act, Reflect, Revise" conference held for those conducting Action Research. We promoted awareness of our topic by presenting our findings to a small group of our peers. We used this opportunity to further our research by asking the participants to complete a set of questions that we had been asking ourselves and found we needed more input than just the two of us could provide (Appendix 7) The participants were more than willing to share their thoughts and ideas, and we encouraged them to take ideas provoked by our presentation back to their home schools and share them with students, parents, and other colleagues.

How Was Practice Modified, What Are The Next Steps

Summative Assessment

My practice has been modified in several ways. I always thought I was the most liberal-minded, equal-thinker around, and then one day I caught myself in a big slip-up. On the first day of school, I generated my classroom discipline policy by using the quote "No man is an island". Not until well into my research did it dawn on me what I had done. I quietly changed the word "man" to "person", without announcing what I had done or why I had done it. The students in the classroom noticed immediately and I allowed them to discuss it among themselves briefly. They invariably concluded that "man" was sexist. I knew my goal was being reached.

I am continually providing activities for female students that would previously be considered "male" jobs and vice versa. I encourage all students to find thought provoking stories in the media that are related to gender issues and the breakdown of gender stereotypes. I allow students to choose groupings in which they feel comfortable to take risks. I take care to ensure that I am not using sexist language and ask students to do the same. If they ask why, a class discussion regularly ensues. I discuss my methods with staff members in an informal setting and ask them for feedback and ideas of how I can further promote this awareness.

Our next steps seem limited compared to the vast nature of our question.

1. We have arranged for Bob Ogilvie to come to Lynndale Heights on May 15 to in-service staff about gender issues in society and the classroom.

2. We plan to conduct a "Teen Esteem Lunch" series for the Fall of 2000. Female role models from the community will be asked to spend a lunch hour with female students in Grades 6, 7, and 8.

3. We hope to enroll several Grade 8 girls in the 2000 - 2001 class in a program called GIRLS (Growth, Independence, Respect, Leadership, and Self-Esteem). It takes place each spring at Waterford’s Camp Trillium.

My research seems to keep growing as time passes. I am certain I will continue to focus on these issues throughout my teaching career and I hope to make many that cross my path as aware and committed to making a positive change in their students and communities. With this change, there is the expectation of higher marks to be attained by all students and an ever-increasing awareness of the equality and the contributions to be made by all individuals in our society.

Appendix 1 Lynndale Heights Public School - Attitudes Responses to Grade 6 Provincial Testing

Appendix 2 Comparison of Male and Female Grade 6 Provincial Testing Scores, Lynndale Heights

Appendix 3 Sample Teacher-Compiled Math Questionnaire

Appendix 4 Results of Teacher-Compiled Math Questionnaire

Appendix 5 Female Response to the Question: What Would Make Math More enjoyable for You?

Appendix 5a Male Responses to the Question: What Would Make Math More Enjoyable for You?

Appendix 6 Christmas Wish List Suggestions

Appendix 7 Responses Gathered at the Action Research Conference, February 18, 2000

References

Sutton, Ruth. (1997). The Learning School. Salford: RS Publications.

Bibiographical Note:

Name: Liana Thompson
Current Position: Learning Resource Teacher Grades Kindergarten to Six
Academic Background: Honours B.A. McMaster University, Teacher Certification Medaille College, New York, Special Education Specialists
Areas of Interest: world travel, languages and mathematics, special education and counselling psychology, action research
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 695, Port Dover, Ontario N0A 1N0