Conditions For Self-Confidence Among Boys And Girls Achieving Highly in Chemistry

Abstract

Both in academic chemistry programs and in career fields that demand knowledge in the area of chemistry, one finds that talented girls and women are generally underrepresented. They often have poorer grades, demonstrate lower levels of self-confidence, and report higher levels of anxiety. The exact causes of these gender differences have not yet been fully understood. The current work is based on the assumption that gender differences in chemistry-relevant variables can be identified as a consequence of gender-specific socialization processes already existent in introductory chemistry courses. In the present study, the self-confidence levels of male and female students was of particular interest. In fact, within a study of 379 eighth-grade boys and girls attending a college preparatory school, it could be shown that even at this early point in time when experiences with chemistry instruction had not yet ocurred, talented girls had significantly lower levels of self-confidence regarding chemistry compared to boys. Several explanatory approaches are examined, and pedagogic consequences are proposed.