Gender equity in testing and assessment

1. Gender Equity in Testing &Gender Equity in Testing &
AssessmentAssessment

2. GenderGender
• Gender is aGender is a social constructionsocial construction of theof the
male and female.male and female.
• Gender EqualityGender Equality:: Gender EqualityGender Equality
requiresrequires equal enjoymentequal enjoyment by women andby women and
men ofmen of socially-valued goods,socially-valued goods,
opportunities, resources and rewards.opportunities, resources and rewards.

3. Gender EquityGender Equity
• Gender equity is the process ofGender equity is the process of being fairbeing fair
to women and men.to women and men.
• The concept of gender equity recognizesThe concept of gender equity recognizes
that men and women havethat men and women have different lifedifferent life
experiences, different needs, differentexperiences, different needs, different
levels of powerlevels of power and access to decision-and access to decision-
making levels in our society, differingmaking levels in our society, differing
expectations by others andexpectations by others and different waysdifferent ways
of expressing illnessof expressing illness..

4. Gender EquityGender Equity Cont…Cont…
• . Gender equity strategies recognize that. Gender equity strategies recognize that
gendergender leads to different social economicleads to different social economic
and political opportunities for women andand political opportunities for women and
men.men.
• Gender Equity is a set ofGender Equity is a set of actions, attitude,actions, attitude,
and assumptionsand assumptions that providethat provide
opportunities and create expectationsopportunities and create expectations
about individuals.about individuals.

5. It offersIt offers a framework fora framework for
educational reformeducational reform in which allin which all
females and males:females and males:
••Are engaged, reflective learners, regardless ofAre engaged, reflective learners, regardless of
the subject.the subject.
••Are prepared for future education, jobs ,Are prepared for future education, jobs ,
careers, and civic participation.careers, and civic participation.
••Set and meet expectations for themselves andSet and meet expectations for themselves and
others.others.
••Develop as respectful friends, familyDevelop as respectful friends, family
members , workers and citizen.members , workers and citizen.
••Receive equitable treatment and achieveReceive equitable treatment and achieve
equitable outcomes in school and beyond.equitable outcomes in school and beyond.

6. Test and AssessmentTest and Assessment
• This topic examines how males andThis topic examines how males and
females perform on different types offemales perform on different types of
assessment tasks that indicate students’assessment tasks that indicate students’
levels of achievementlevels of achievement in the academicin the academic
disciplines taught in school:disciplines taught in school:
reading/language arts, mathematics,reading/language arts, mathematics,
science and social studies.science and social studies.
•

7. Test performanceTest performance
A considerable body of evidence suggested that anA considerable body of evidence suggested that an
individual’s test performance may be impacted by aindividual’s test performance may be impacted by a
wide range of personal, societal and assessmentwide range of personal, societal and assessment
factors such asfactors such as
• Personal test taking stylePersonal test taking style
• Internalized societal expectationsInternalized societal expectations
• Characteristics of testCharacteristics of test
Some of these factors seem differently impact on maleSome of these factors seem differently impact on male
and female and may be account for some of theand female and may be account for some of the
observed group differences. Factors that influence testobserved group differences. Factors that influence test
performance have been characterized as:performance have been characterized as:
• Test characteristicsTest characteristics
• Test taker characteristicsTest taker characteristics

8. Test characteristicsTest characteristics
• Test format or item type has been found to relate toTest format or item type has been found to relate to
gender differences in test performance. Willingham etgender differences in test performance. Willingham et
al. (1997) found in looking at gender differences inal. (1997) found in looking at gender differences in
advanced placement (AP) test (from more restrictedadvanced placement (AP) test (from more restricted
samples of high-performing students)samples of high-performing students)
• They found An (inconsistent) tendency for females toThey found An (inconsistent) tendency for females to
perform better on free-response or essay questionsperform better on free-response or essay questions
• Male tended to perform better on a multiple-choiceMale tended to perform better on a multiple-choice
format.format.
• Male seem to do better than females in terms ofMale seem to do better than females in terms of
speeded tests such as the SAT mathematics testspeeded tests such as the SAT mathematics test

9. Continue….!Continue….!
• In a small scale study by Benjamin-KellyIn a small scale study by Benjamin-Kelly
and Rosser in 1989, 40 New York Cityand Rosser in 1989, 40 New York City
high school juniors were interviewed tohigh school juniors were interviewed to
see how they solve SAT mathematicssee how they solve SAT mathematics
problems; these students were retestedproblems; these students were retested
on the SAT and given all the time theyon the SAT and given all the time they
required, to see whether time pressurerequired, to see whether time pressure
affected the sexes differentlyaffected the sexes differently

10. •Most of them took more time thanMost of them took more time than
actual testactual test
MalesMales
• The males were more likelyThe males were more likely
to use test taking strategiesto use test taking strategies
such as substituting answersuch as substituting answer
choices in the problem to seechoices in the problem to see
which one worked or noticedwhich one worked or noticed
answer choice that wasanswer choice that was
different from all othersdifferent from all others
(usually correct one)(usually correct one)
• Increased time was notIncreased time was not
associated with theassociated with the
improvements for male; theyimprovements for male; they
answered fewer questionsanswered fewer questions
correctly despite thecorrectly despite the
expanded time frameexpanded time frame
FemalesFemales
• Females were moreFemales were more
likely to work math’slikely to work math’s
problem as they hadproblem as they had
been taught in thebeen taught in the
classroom (in a step byclassroom (in a step by
step manner)step manner)
• Giving time to femaleGiving time to female
seemed to work in theirseemed to work in their
favor because itfavor because it
allowed them to do theallowed them to do the
required mathematicsrequired mathematics

11. Test-taker characteristicsTest-taker characteristics
Females and males have different test takingFemales and males have different test taking
stylesstyles
• Females tend to leave more questionsFemales tend to leave more questions
unanswered than males on test such as SATunanswered than males on test such as SAT
• Females were less likely to be risk takers andFemales were less likely to be risk takers and
therefore guess less than malestherefore guess less than males
• Girls think that SAT measures theirGirls think that SAT measures their
intelligence and they mustn’t cheatintelligence and they mustn’t cheat
• Boys are more competitive they play it like aBoys are more competitive they play it like a
pin ball game(Gilligan & attanucci)pin ball game(Gilligan & attanucci)

12. Continue….!Continue….!
Anxiety may also be a factor in test performanceAnxiety may also be a factor in test performance
• Females who said that they were highly anxious scored lowerFemales who said that they were highly anxious scored lower
on the mathematics SAT than ‘somewhat’ anxious femaleson the mathematics SAT than ‘somewhat’ anxious females
• Faigel (1991) found out students suffered from un usualFaigel (1991) found out students suffered from un usual
anxiety, have difficulty thinkinganxiety, have difficulty thinking ‘an hour later they not only‘an hour later they not only
remember the questions but also the right answers’remember the questions but also the right answers’
• Test sophistication may also be a factor related to gender;Test sophistication may also be a factor related to gender;
males have more gaming strategies towards test femalesmales have more gaming strategies towards test females
showed lack of test wiseness by using a strategyshowed lack of test wiseness by using a strategy
• The males were more likely to know the tricks of the testThe males were more likely to know the tricks of the test

13. Stereotype threatStereotype threat
• Stelle found that on an AP calculus exam ,Stelle found that on an AP calculus exam ,
when females ; stereotype threat waswhen females ; stereotype threat was
activated by their being told to write downactivated by their being told to write down
their sex beforehand, they did worse thantheir sex beforehand, they did worse than
males but when they were told ‘this is amales but when they were told ‘this is a
test you will do better on even thoughtest you will do better on even though
females generally do worse than males’females generally do worse than males’
;they did better than males;they did better than males

14. ValidityValidity
• Refers to measuring what we intend toRefers to measuring what we intend to
measure.measure.
• If math and vocabulary truly representIf math and vocabulary truly represent
intelligence then a math and vocabulary testintelligence then a math and vocabulary test
might be said to have high validity when usedmight be said to have high validity when used
as a measure of intelligence.as a measure of intelligence.

15. Construct ValidityConstruct Validity
• Think of a construct as something that is like an idea or mental
map that we are trying to understand.
For example - intuition is a construct. There is no place on the brain
(as of yet) that can be identified as Intuition. But we see lots of
behaviors that seem to be expressions of some quality we call
Intuition.

16. • A criteria is a measure that could be used to determine the
accuracy of a decision.
Criterion-Related ValidityCriterion-Related Validity
•The predictor is a tool that is used to predict the criterion.

17. Predictive ValidityPredictive Validity
• This type of validity also indicates the correlationThis type of validity also indicates the correlation
between the predictor (X) and the criterion (Y).between the predictor (X) and the criterion (Y).
However, criterion data are collected after predictorHowever, criterion data are collected after predictor
data are obtained. In other words, this methoddata are obtained. In other words, this method
determines the degree, that X can accuratelydetermines the degree, that X can accurately predictpredict YY

18. Predictive Validity (cont.)Predictive Validity (cont.)
e.g., If higher scores on the SAT are positivelye.g., If higher scores on the SAT are positively
correlated withcorrelated with
higher G.P.A.’s and visa versa, then the SAT is saidhigher G.P.A.’s and visa versa, then the SAT is said
to have predictive validity.to have predictive validity.
•The Predictive Validity of the SAT is mildly supportedThe Predictive Validity of the SAT is mildly supported
by the relation of that scale with performance inby the relation of that scale with performance in
graduate school.graduate school.

19. Examples of Predictive ValidityExamples of Predictive Validity
– For instance, we might theorize that a measure of mathFor instance, we might theorize that a measure of math
ability should be able to predict how well a person will doability should be able to predict how well a person will do
in an engineering-based profession.in an engineering-based profession.
– A high correlation would provide evidence for predictiveA high correlation would provide evidence for predictive
validity -- it would show that our measure can correctlyvalidity -- it would show that our measure can correctly
predict something that we theoretically thing it should bepredict something that we theoretically thing it should be
able to predict.able to predict.

20. Research Findings……!Research Findings……!
• More women are now taking college
admission test more than men. And the most
complicating factor is that boys and men of all
ethnic group have shown increasing
disengagement with academic work at all
level.

21. Admissions,Testing,Scholarships…
• Researchers of 1980’s and 90’s said that in this area
also men had been scoring higher and had been
receiving many more of the scholarships. It is said
that men had been given favor in the admissions,
tests and scholarships. But according to Lee(2006)
girls proportion of scholarship raised from 28 to 52%.
Grandy reported in 1999 that there are some
differences found in test/assessment of both gender
as the following

22. Continue…….!Continue…….!
1.Verbal score average for male over 30 remained
essentially the same as score averages for male
under 30. Whereas average of older female
examinee were higher than the young female
examinee.
2.On all graduate admission tests, males performed
better than females in mathematical ability.

23. Continue…..!Continue…..!
• Since 1972, female verbal score averages have
ranged from 2 to 15 points lower than males. Males
Mathematics score averages points higher than
range from 30 to 52 than females. In 2004 college
board reported that females score averaged 504 on
verbal section and 501 on the mathematics section,
while males averaged 512 on the verbal and 537 on
the mathematics.( Rapport Talk and Report Talk).

24. Achievement Gap
• Historically and according to achievement gap
males perform better in mathematics and
science area. And females perform better in
reading/language and arts.
• “Researchers also says that it is Men’s world
in the field of Vocational Interests and
Aptitude Testing.”

25. ConclusionConclusion
• The purpose of gender equity is to protectThe purpose of gender equity is to protect
the rights and privileges of males andthe rights and privileges of males and
females so that both receive equitable fairfemales so that both receive equitable fair
treatment in the educational system.”treatment in the educational system.”