The Influence of Gender Grouping in Design-Based Science on High School Girls' Biology Engagement

• In Event: Poster Session 6
  In Poster Session: Social and Cultural Influences on Learning and Motivation

Abstract

In a design-based learning context in high school biology, this study examined whether female students’ academic engagement (behavioral, emotional and cognitive) in small group work would change depending on the varying gender composition of their groups. Our preliminary data analysis showed that their emotional engagement seemed to be positively correlated with the percentage of same-gender peers within the group, but for behavioral and cognitive engagements such a correlation did not exist. We also report our plan for further and more “microscopic” data analysis, and discuss the potential significance of this study.

Authors

• Miancheng Guo, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

• Martina Nieswandt, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

• Elizabeth McEneaney, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

• Susannah Howe, Smith College