THE WORDING OF MATHEMATICAL PROBLEMS - CONSEQUENCES FOR GIRLS AND BOYS EXPECTANCIES OF SUCCESS

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the wording of mathematics problems on students' expectancy of success in solving math tasks. 158 ninth grade girls and boys participated in the study. Results show that girls considered it less likely than boys to solve math problems. In addition, the wording of math problems had an impact on girls' and boys' expectancies of success. Both girls and boys were more confident to solve concrete problems than abstract ones. Also, they were more confident to solve problems which referred to their everyday life than problems which did not. Reference to everyday life, however, is provided by different wordings for boys and girls, respectively. For example, problems that refer to boys' everyday life may not refer to that of girls. Suggestions of different ways of solution for the problems produced no differences in expectancies of success. Consequences of these results for instructional practice in school are discussed.