Poster #26 - Gender Roles and Children's Implicit Theories of Ability in the Arts and Sciences: A Preregistered Analysis

• In Event: Poster Session 15

Abstract

INTRODUCTION.
How individuals think about their abilities can shape academic behaviors and outcomes. Intelligence mindset is defined as the beliefs that individuals possess about the malleability of intelligence. Those who have a growth mindset believe that their intelligence can improve with effort, whereas individuals with a fixed mindset believe that their intelligence cannot change (Dweck, 2016). Most research on intelligence mindset has focused on general conceptions of ability (Li, 2019). However, we know that students possess a variety of beliefs and preferences for specific subject areas, such as math/science and the arts/humanities (Eccles, 2002). Moreover, gender stereotypes such as "boys are good at math" and "girls are good at art" might further shape these beliefs and preferences (Houston, 2021).
To date, there has been little work examining both subject-specific ability beliefs and gender beliefs in elementary school students (Lee, 2021), but it is important to study this younger population because they are more impressionable during these early years (Lemyre, 2010). A better understanding of these beliefs could help us design more effective interventions to boost children’s beliefs about their abilities and to counteract gendered beliefs about who is successful in certain subject areas. Our research questions were: (1) How do elementary-aged children describe ability-related beliefs in different subject areas—math and art, and (2) How do these beliefs relate to gender stereotypes in these subjects?

METHOD.
This study represents a preregistered qualitative data analysis, in which data have already been collected but not yet analyzed. Participants were 23 American children (aged 5 to 11; mean age: 7.74; 52% White; 47% female). Children were told a story about two fictitious gender-neutral characters engaged in two different activities in math and art (Figure 1). The story was followed by a series of questions designed to probe children’s ability mindset beliefs and gender beliefs (Table 1).

PROPOSED CODING AND ANALYSIS PLAN.
First, we will code children’s binary responses to the interview questions. This will allow us to characterize children’s ability mindset beliefs and gendered expectations. Second, children’s open-ended responses to the interview questions will be inductively coded (Braun & Clarke, 2020) to identify emergent themes that relate to ability mindsets, subject-specific abilities, and beliefs about gender. We will also examine whether children’s responses differ by age (younger vs. older elementary students). Interview coding will be done by multiple lab members to ensure intercoder reliability.

IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND PRACTICE.
Findings from this study will help educators and policymakers understand how children develop beliefs about ability in different subject areas, and whether these ability mindset beliefs are impacted by gender stereotypes. We expect that findings will inform the design of inclusive instructional approaches that encourage all children to develop positive beliefs about their abilities in different subject areas, regardless of gendered expectations and gender stereotypes. As such, the present study aligns with SRCD’s strategic plan on culture and diversity and policy-relevant research.

Authors

• Chellam Antony, University of Kentucky
  Presenting Author

• Matthew H Kim, University of Kentucky