Interaction and Communication: An Examination of Gender Differences in Elementary Student Mathematics and Science Learning Using CMC

Abstract

In this study, gender difference is explored from two perspectives: 1) student interaction patterns, and 2) communication patterns. The data used is collected from a fifth- and sixth- grade classroom in an inner city elementary school in Toronto, Ontario. There were 24 students (12 male students and 12 female students) in the class. First, the interaction patterns of students' mathematics and science learning were examined in terms of turn taking, conversation initiating, and conversation following. The results of the analysis show that male students still take more turns in this CMC setting. Male and female students are equally likely to initialize topics. Those male generated messages were significantly less likely to be followed than those female generated messages. But male and female students are just as likely to follow and support previous messages in this CMC setting. Based on these results, gender differences are then examined with respect to student communication pattern. Communication is explored in terms of language functions. The analysis of the data indicates that female students tend to request more information, but offer fewer explanations and opinions than male students do. With respect to connected initiating messages, female students are found to be similar to male students in the use of the five language functions. However, moving to conversation development, two significant gender differences are found in student use of language functions: female students tend to request more information but offer fewer explanations than male students do in those followed-up messages.