Gender, Expectations, and Grades in Introductory Microeconomics at a US University

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Gender, Expectations, and Grades in Introductory Microeconomics at a US University

Author Info

Charles Ballard
Marianne Johnson

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Abstract

Previous studies have documented a gender gap in the study of economics in Canada, the UK, and the US. One important factor may be women's low expectations about their ability to succeed in economics courses. Women in our sample expect to do less well than men in an introductory microeconomics course, even after controlling for variables relating to family background, academic experience, and mathematics experience. These expectations are partly self-fulfilling, since expected grades have an important and positive effect on class performance. We also find that having taken an economics course in secondary school actually has a negative effect on performance. We observe this negative effect for women and men, but it is more pronounced for women. When we control for both expectations and secondary-school experience with economics, the independent effect of gender is small and insignificant.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Taylor and Francis Journals in its journal Feminist Economics.

Volume (Year): 11 (2005)
Issue (Month): 1 (March)
Pages: 95-122
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Handle: RePEc:taf:femeco:v:11:y:2005:i:1:p:95-122

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

Charles L. Ballard & Marianne F. Johnson, 2004. "Basic Math Skills and Performance in an Introductory Economics Class," Journal of Economic Education, Helen Dwight Reid Foundation, vol. 35(1), pages 3-23. [Downloadable!]
Mary O. Borg & Harriet A. Stranahan, 2002. "Personality Type and Student Performance in Upper-Level Economics Courses: The Importance of Race and Gender," Journal of Economic Education, Helen Dwight Reid Foundation, vol. 33(1), pages 3-14. [Downloadable!]
Robb, R.E. & Robb, A.L., 1996. "Gender and the Study of Economics: The Role of Gender of the Instructor," Papers 1996-05, York (Canada) - Department of Economics.
Other versions:
- Robb, R.E. & Robb, A.L., 1996. "Gender and the Study of Economics: The Role of Gender of the Instructor," Working Papers 1996-05, Brock University, Department of Economics.
- Roberta E. Robb & A. Leslie Robb, 1999. "Gender and the Study of Economics: The Role of Gender of the Instructor," Journal of Economic Education, Helen Dwight Reid Foundation, vol. 30(1), pages 3-19. [Downloadable!]
Marianne A. Ferber, Lauren Young, 1997. "Student Attitudes Toward Roles of Women and Men: Is the Egalitarian Household Imminent?," Feminist Economics, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 65-83, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Byron W. Brown & Carl E. Liedholm, 2002. "Can Web Courses Replace the Classroom in Principles of Microeconomics?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(2), pages 444-448, May. [Downloadable!]

Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

Owen, Ann L., 2008. "Grades, gender, and encouragement: A regression discontinuity analysis," MPRA Paper 11586, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]

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