How Teacher-Student Interactions Shape Math Attitudes and Gender-Math Stereotypes: Highlighting Gender Disparities and Cross-Subject Dimensional Comparison

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 4:55 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Supporting Student Learning and Engagement in Mathematics (Table 27)

Abstract

Using data from Chinese adolescents and extending the dimensional comparison theory, this study examines the within- and cross-subject effects of teacher-student interaction (TSI) on math-related attitudes and outcomes. We find significant gender disparities in TSI patterns, with boys interacting more with both math and non-math teachers and showing a larger math-advantage in TSI than girls. Higher levels of math TSIs are associated with increased math self-efficacy, motivation, and subsequent academic performance and STEM aspirations. We further identify a cross-subject contrast effect: students with more non-math TSIs have decreased math self-efficacy. Moreover, positive math TSIs help girls challenge gender-math stereotypes while reinforcing them for boys, while positive non-math TSIs reinforce the gender-math stereotype for girls but challenge them for boys.

Author

• Ran Liu, University of Wisconsin - Madison