How Parents' Stereotypical Beliefs Predict Students' Motivation and Career Aspirations in Mathematics and Language Arts

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: Motivation in Education SIG Poster Session: Contextual Factors, Teacher Motivation, and Motivational Interventions (San Diego)

Abstract

Despite progress, gender gaps persist in mathematical and language-related fields. Gender stereotypes likely play a role. The current study examines the relationship between parents’ gender-related beliefs and their adolescent child’s motivation and career aspirations through a survey of 172 parent/child dyads. Parents reported their gendered beliefs about math and language, as well as their prescriptive gender role beliefs. Path models showed that among girls, parental stereotypes that girls are advantaged in language arts were associated with stronger student-reported expectancies and values for language arts. For boys, parents’ gender role beliefs and language arts stereotypes predicted both motivation and career aspirations in language arts. These results suggest that stereotypical beliefs may influence educational processes differently among boys and girls.

Authors

• Kathryn Everhart Chaffee, University of Quebec - Montreal

• Isabelle Plante, University of Quebec - Montreal