Math, Science, and Language Gendered Performance Biases of Tenth Grade Indian School Children (2010)

Undergraduate: Nikul Patel

Faculty Advisor: Beth Kurtz-Costes
Department: Psychology & Neuroscience

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Little literature exists on the stereotypes of Indian children about gender differences in academic abilities. Research with Westerners suggests that youth are aware of gender stereotypes by adolescence, and academic environment (single-sex and mixed-gender classroom) can influence children’s beliefs. Tenth grade Indian students (N=86) were recruited from two schools, one mixed-gender and one single-sex school. Students completed measures of the competence of boys and girls in academic domains and their perceptions of their own competence in language (Gujarati), math, and science. Students from the mixed-gender school rated boys’ ability in math and science lower than did the boys in the single-gender school, but no school differences were found in ratings of girls’ math-science competence. Contrary to hypotheses, boys were rated as more talented than girls in language domains, and students had higher language self-concepts than math/science self-concepts. The results are considered in light of British historical influence in India and implications for cross-cultural theories of stereotypes. This study can be used to support the need for gender-equality programs in India.