Abstract
Girls and women now outperform boys and men on many indices of academic achievement. Gender differences in motivation may underlie these trends. In this chapter, I review and integrate research on gender differences in self-evaluation, self-regulation, and achievement goals. I argue for the existence of gendered tendencies "to prove" versus "to try and to improve," whereby males tend to orient to demonstrating and defending their abilities, and females to working hard and addressing deficiencies. I discuss how these motivations develop within social and educational contexts of learning, and intersect with gendered patterns of socialization, values, and behaviors in other arenas, especially relational ones. Recurring themes include the costs and benefits of differential emphases on competition and self-promotion versus affiliation and consideration of others in the family, peer group, and classroom. I conclude with some recommendations for creating classroom environments that might promote optimal motivation among all students, regardless of gender.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Advances in Child Development and Behavior |
Publisher | Academic Press Inc. |
Pages | 1-41 |
Number of pages | 41 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2014 |
Publication series
Name | Advances in Child Development and Behavior |
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Volume | 47 |
ISSN (Print) | 0065-2407 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2014 Elsevier Inc.
Keywords
- Achievement motivation
- Gender differences
- Gender socialization
- Self-evaluation
- Social motives