Predictors of Achievement in Mathematics for Gifted Males and Females

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that are predictive of achievement in fast-paced mathematics classes for high abitity male and female adolescents. The predictive value of three categories of factors were explored: ability, previous experience and exposure to the content area, and individual student characteristics. These were used to predict three out comes: entry-level knowledge, learning during the program, and learning rate. Results showed. that outcomes for females were more predictable than for males. For both males and females, previous experience variables were the most important in predicting learning outcomes. For females, parental teaching and tutoring of others related to learning, whereas for males, participation in math clubs was the important previous experience variable.

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