Academic Performance and Self-Assessed Skills: Vanishing gender

gaps?

Victor Thiessen

Academic Director, ARDC

Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology

Dalhousie University

thiessen@dal.ca

♦ In a comparative cross-national assessment, USA students ranked first for self-perceived math ability and South Korea last, whereas in actual performance, South Koreans ranked first and the USA close to last (Educational Testing Service, 1992)

The data: 2000 YITS 18-20♦ Based on Statistics

Canada LFS♦ Excludes Yukon,

NWT, Nunavut♦ Response rate: 80.9%

♦ N = 22,378♦ Normalized weighted

analyses

Self-reported skill assessment

♦How would you rate your…– Ability to use a computer (C)– Writing abilities (W)– Reading abilities (R)– Oral communication abilities (O)– Ability to solve new problems (P)– Mathematical abilities (M)

Percentage of young adults who rate their skills as excellent

7.414.2mathematical abilities

7.713.4problem solving abilities

17.115.8oral communication abilities

25.219.3reading abilities

16.112.2writing abilities

8.516.4using a computer

FemalesMalesPercent "excellent" in…

Highest grade and level of high school math and language classes

37.334.954.044.7Gr. 12 University

12.112.911.015.2Gr. 12 General

24.422.64.45.6<12 University

26.229.630.634.6<12 General

FemaleMaleFemaleMale

MathLanguage

Highest grade and level of…

Mean marks in mathematics and language

3.043.033.403.11Gr. 12 University

2.912.843.042.71Gr. 12 General

2.962.902.972.52<12 University

2.722.693.232.76<12 General

FemaleMaleFemaleMaleGrade and level

MathLanguage

Mean math skills relative to other skill domains

-0.48-0.32problem solving abilities

-0.69-0.26oral communication abilities

-1.00-0.40reading abilities

-0.75-0.11writing abilities

-0.14-0.01computer abilities

FemalesMalesMath skills relative to…

Map of human capital skills

The structure of human capital skills

-1.5 -1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5

c1

c2

c3

c4

c5w1

w2

w3

w4

w5

r1r2

r3

r4

r5

o1 o2o3

o4

o5

p1

p2

p3

p4

p5

m1

m2

m3

m4

m5

-1.5 -1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

c1

c5w1

w5

r1

r5

o1

o5

p1

p5

m1

m5

Biplot of human capital skills

-0.7 -0.2 0.3 0.8

Volume

Com

posi

tion

(Num

eric

vs

verb

al)

1F

1D

1C

1B

1A

1A+

2F

2D

2C

2B

2A

2A+

3F

3D

3C

3B

3A

3A+

4F

4D

4C4B

4A

4A+

1F 1D 1C

1B

1A

1A+

2F

2D

2C2B

2A2A+

3F

3D

3C

3B

3A

3A+

4F

4D

4C

4B

4A

4A+

Perceived skills in relation to language marks

-0.5 0.0 0.5

Volume

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

Com

posi

tion

(num

eric

vs.

ver

bal)

b1F

b1Db1C

b1B

b1A

b1A+

b2Fb2D

b2C

b2B

b2A

b2A+

b3F

b3D

b3C

b3B

b3A

b3A+

b4F

b4D

b4C

b4B

b4A

b4A+

g1Fg1Dg1C

g1B

g1A

g1A+

g2Fg2D

g2C

g2B

g2A

g2A+

g3Fg3D

g3C

g3Bg3A

g3A+

g4F

g4D

g4C

g4B

g4A

g4A+

Perceived skills in relation to math marks

-1 .0 -0 .5 0 .0 0 .5 1 .0

V o lum e

-2

-1

0

1

Com

posi

tion

b FF

b DDb CC

b B B b A A

b A +A +

g FF

g DD g CCg B B

g A A

g A +A +

b FF

b FDb FC

b FB

b FA

b FA +

b DF

b DD

b DCb DB

b DAb DA +

b CF

b CDb CC

b CB

b CA

b CA +

b B Fb B Db B C

b B B

b B A

b B A +

b A F

b A Db A C

b A B

b A A

b A A +

b A +Fb A +D

b A +C

b A +B b A +A

b A +A +

g FF

g FD

g FC

g FB

g FA

g FA +

g DF

g DD

g DC

g DB

g DA

g DA +

g CF

g CD

g CC

g CB

g CA

g CA +

g B F

g B D

g B Cg B B

g B A

g B A +

g A F

g A Dg A Cg A B

g A A

g A A +

g A +Fg A +D

g A +C g A +B g A +A

g A +A +

Perceived skills by math and language marks

Math mark = language markMath=Language

Volume

Com

posi

tion

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5

-2-1

01

F

DC

B A

A+

FD C

BA

A+

Combination of marksMath grade F

Volume

Com

posi

tion

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5

-2-1

01

F

D CB

A

A+FD

C

BA

A+

Math grade D

Volume

Com

posi

tion

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5

-2-1

01

FD

C BA A+

F

DC

B

AA+

Math grade C

Volume

Com

posi

tion

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5

-2-1

01

FDC

B

A

A+

FD

C

B

A

A+

Math grade B

Volume

Com

posi

tion

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5

-2-1

01

F DCB

A

A+

F

D

CB

A

A+

Math grade A

Volume

Com

posi

tion

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5

-2-1

01

FD C B

A

A+

FDC B

A

A+

Math grade A+

VolumeC

ompo

sitio

n-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5

-2-1

01 FD

CB A

A+FD

C B AA+

Summary: Cognitive map

♦Human capital skills differ by volume and composition

♦Numeric and linguistic skills are independent of each other

♦ In between are problem solving and computer skills

Correspondence between actual and perceived locations♦There is a correspondence

– It is not one-to-one♦Teacher assessments are crucial♦Language marks affect perception of

volume and composition of skills for females, but only volume for males

♦Math marks affect both volume and composition for both genders

Gender and human capital skills

♦ Gender differences in perceived numeric skills are NOT due to:– Women being less likely to take math courses– Women taking less advanced math courses– Women getting lower marks in math courses

So why the gendered map?

♦Young women are superior in language♦Young women differentiate between their

various skills♦There is a pervasive gender stereotype♦Young women are more modest♦Young women are somewhat less likely to

discount a failing mark

Implications: That which is perceived as real is real in its consequences

♦Gender differences in post-secondary educational programs

♦Gender segregation of occupations♦School counseling must be based on

performance rather than perception♦Occupational guidance should NOT be

based on inventory of skills and aptitudes

Next steps

♦Use cycle 3 data to assess:– Educational pathways taken by young men and

women• Are self-assessed skills independently related to the

decision to pursue PSE?

– Field of study chosen• Do the lower self-assessed quantitative skills

translate into young women avoiding fields that require math skills?