Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Advisor

Sandra D. Eidson

Committee Member

Anne W. Joslin

Committee Member

Maryellen Maher

Keywords

Databases/Gender Differences/Science Achievement/Gender Bias

Abstract

This applied dissertation study was designed to improve the academic performance of female students in a high school advanced placement (AP) physics course. Although they have been closing in recent decades, significant achievement gaps remain for males and females in mathematics and science. The literature suggested several reasons for the continuance of these gaps. The underlying theme for all of these reasons was academic self-efficacy. Self-efficacy and, consequently, academic achievement is, in turn, affected by the lack of female role models, biased curriculum, biased textbooks, and biased teacher behaviors.

Changes were implemented in the researcher’s AP physics class in an attempt to improve the self-efficacy of the female students and to close the achievement gap. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect on these problems of changing the curriculum and teaching practices, substituting teacher-made instructional material and problems for the textbook, and providing female role models.The achievement gap was measured by analyzing semester grades before and after the intervention and the relative achievement of males and females on the AP physics exam as compared to the results of the 2006 exam. The effect of the intervention on students’ self-efficacy was determined by administering a survey at the beginning and end of the period.

When the AP physics exam scores were analyzed, there was not a statistically significant difference between the scores of the male and female students. The 1st semester averages, which represent the period prior to the implementation, showed a statistically higher average for the male students compared to the female students. The 2nd semester averages, however, did not show such a difference. Because these grades represented the period of the implementation, it was quite possible that one or more of the changes had an impact on the achievement of the female students.

The initial administration of the survey showed that the female students had lower self efficacy than their male counterparts for physics and science, in general. Several of the related constructs showed a significant advantage for the male students. However, after the 2nd administration of the survey, only 1 of the original 10 questions that had shown significance initially remained so.

The changes made by the researcher in an AP physics class did appear to improve the academic performances and self-efficacy of the female students relative to their male peers. Further research is needed to verify these findings and to determine which changes actually have a positive effect on female students.

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