Abstract:

There is a growing body of research which demonstrates that males tend to outscore females in standardized tests of math achievement. Moreover, even math performance being equal, females exhibit lower expectations of success in math and report lower competence.

The disparity in math achievement could partially be attributed to non cognitive characteristics, namely gender differences in mindset. A fixed mindset sees abilities as innate and as a result not amenable to improvement. A growth mindset, on the other hand, assumes that individual abilities are malleable and can be enhanced through learning. In a number of studies it has been shown that a growth mindset intervention has a potential to benefit girls’ math performance.
One of the promising tools to change the disposition towards growth mindset is the use of digital educational platforms. A positive association has been found between extended use of a digital educational platform and improvements self-reported non-achievement outcomes, such as math anxiety, math self-concept and academic efficacy.

Although, research has regularly explored gender differences in achievement outcomes in math, there has been little research on the influence of digital educational platforms on both students’ math achievement and mindset. In our study, we intend to assess whether the use of the digital educational platform affects the role of mindset in explaining gender discrepancies in math achievement. Unlike the majority of studies examining the relationship between math achievement and mindset, this study employed standardized tests with proven reliability and validity to evaluate students’ math achievement. Adding to the existing body of research, this study aims to examine the mindset of elementary school students.

The study was conducted in 343 regional schools in Russia with a total of 6,300 third-grade students participating in the study. In accordance with the experimental design of the study, classes were randomly assigned to one of two groups - using the digital educational platform and not using it, or control. Measurements of math performance and students’ mindset were taken twice, at the beginning and at the end of the school year. Students’ math achievement was assessed using the standardized iPIPS+ test, and the students’ mindset was assessed using four items adopted from the Implicit Theory of Intelligence Measure.

The research question is addressed using two linear regression models for the control and experimental groups. In the first regression model the students’ mindset is regarded as a dependent variable, with gender being an independent variable. In the latter, we consider math achievement as a dependent variable, with the student’s mindset being an independent variable.

We expect to identify a relationship between the students’ mindset and the standardized test scores before the experiment commenced. We also expect to see a stronger correlation in the experimental group between the aforementioned variables, in particular with respect to gender. We assume that students in the experimental group will demonstrate higher math achievement and a larger portion of overall variance in math achievement will be explained.

Keywords:

Growth mindset, gender inequality, math achievement, digital educational technologies, randomized experiment.