The Relationship Between Gender, Confidence, and Participatory Risk-Taking in a Postsecondary Mathematics Course

• In Event: Fostering Learning: Relationships With Teachers, Mathematics, and Challenging Tasks

Abstract

Prior evidence of gender differences in risk taking behaviors and confidence in mathematics suggests that men may be more likely than women to engage in a beneficial behavior we call participatory risk taking (PRT). We define PRT as volunteering to lead a short discussion on one’s own solution to a mathematics problem. Additionally, research on students’ experiences in mathematics classrooms indicates the relationship between gender and PRT may depend on students’ confidence. We analyzed 628 undergraduate students’ reports of PRT for 13 challenging mathematics problems. Results indicate that men were more likely than women to report a willingness to engage in PRT. Notably, this gender gap increased as students’ confidence increased.

Authors

• Meaghan Beth McMurran, University of California - Riverside

• David Weisbart

• Kinnari Atit, University of California Riverside