Martin Bourgeois (doctorant, LPCN, Université de Caen Normandie), Sandrine Rossi (PR, LPCN, Université de Caen Normandie), Charlotte Montcharmont (IGE, LPCN, Université de Caen), Arnaud Mortier (LMNO, membre associé du LPCN, Université de Caen), Céline Lanoë (MC, LPCN, Université de Caen Normandie) et Amélie Lubin (MC, LPCN, Université de Caen Normandie) ont diffusé un nouvel article via la plateforme internationale SSRN.
Bourgeois, M., Rossi, S., Montcharmont, C., Mortier, A., Lanoë, C., & Lubin, A. Exploring Gender Differences in Mathematics: The Mediating Role of Metacognition Among Elementary School Students. Available at SSRN 7576415. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.7576415
Abstract
Despite ongoing efforts towards gender equality, a persistent gender gap in mathematics remains, with girls generally performing worse than boys. Clarifying the mechanisms underlying this disparity is essential for promoting educational equity. Among the potential mechanisms, general cognitive processes such as executive functions (EF) and metacognition (MC) are recognised as key predictors of mathematical learning. However, their role in gender differences in mathematics remains underexplored, and existing findings are inconsistent. The present study examined whether EF and MC mediate the relationship between gender and mathematical performance in elementary school students. A battery of self- and informant-report questionnaires was administered to 498 students aged 9-10 and their educators (parents and teachers) to assess students’ EF and MC. In addition, tests were administered to evaluate students’ mathematical performance. Mediation analyses revealed that only MC (but not EF) partially mediated the relationship between gender and mathematical performance, and only in cases where outcomes were assessed by adults (parents and teachers). Indeed, although girls performed worse than boys in mathematics at equivalent levels of EF and MC, an indirect suppression effect emerged for MC. Girls were perceived as having stronger metacognitive skills, which in turn predicted better mathematical performance and partially compensated for their disadvantage. These findings suggest that while MC may mitigate the gender gap in mathematics, it does not fully eliminate it. This study is among the first to jointly examine EF and MC as mediators of gender differences in mathematics achievement, providing new insights and practical implications for promoting educational equity.
Keywords
gender, mathematics, Executive Functions, metacognition, Math Gender Gap, elementary school
Il est consultable via ce lien : http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.7576415. Celui-ci a été publié via SSRN (Social Science Research Network) une plateforme internationale de diffusion de travaux de recherche, particulièrement dans les sciences sociales, le droit, l’économie, la gestion et certains domaines interdisciplinaires. Elle permet aux chercheurs de partager leurs manuscrits, notamment sous forme de prépublications (preprints), afin de favoriser la circulation des connaissances, les échanges scientifiques et la visibilité des travaux académiques. SSRN n’est toutefois pas une revue scientifique au sens traditionnel, mais un réseau de diffusion de publications.
Martin Bourgeois prépare une thèse en psychologie intitulée « Etude de l’effet de GEnre dans les apprentissages en Mathématiques : Quels liens avec le développement des processus Métacognitifs et Exécutifs à l’école élémentaire », sous la direction de Sandrine Rossi (PR, LPCN, Université de Caen Normandie) et de Amélie Lubin (MC, LPCN, Université de Caen Normandie).
