Date Approved
8-19-2010
Embargo Period
3-3-2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. School Psychology-Professional School Psychology
Department
Psychology
College
College of Science & Mathematics
Advisor
Dihoff, Roberta
Committee Member 1
Klanderman, John
Subject(s)
Academic achievement; Sex differences
Disciplines
Child Psychology | Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Abstract
This study seeks to explore the academic achievement gap between male and female students by comparing grade point averages across genders. Specifically, the researcher hypothesized that such a gap exists and that females would academically surpass their male counterparts in the classroom. Participants consisted of 300 students in grades 5, 8, and 11 from a public school district in suburban New Jersey. Grade point average (GPA) was generated by converting letter grades into numbers (4.0-0.0) and then averaged. A two-way between-groups analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed the hypothesis that females have a higher average GPA than males, as a whole (all three grades combined), as well as within each grade itself. The implications of these findings extend past the scope of this article to the educational setting itself. Given that an achievement gap exists, teachers and school administration need to work together with students to close the gap and maximize each student's academic potential.
Recommended Citation
Housman, Marissa, "A study of academic achievement differences between the genders" (2010). Theses and Dissertations. 56.
https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/56
