ABSTRACT
Th e role of gender in shaping achievement motivation has a long history in psychological and educational research. Early studies drew on achievement motivation theories to explain why adult women and men diff ered in their educational and occupational pursuits. Prior to the 1970s, men were more likely than women to obtain a college degree, pursue advanced study, and enter high-paying occupations. Over the last three decades, unprecedented changes in women’s level of educational participation and occupational status have been observed. Compared with boys, girls earn higher grades in elementary and secondary school, and they exceed boys in class ranks and academic honors (Downey & Yuan, 2005). Among secondary school students, large gender gaps in mathematics and science performance have decreased, and for basic skills, have been eliminated (Corbett, Hill, & Rose, 2008; National Center of Educational Statistics [NCES], 2005). Additionally, with the exception of physics, young women today are just as likely as men to take challenging mathematics and science coursework in high school (NCES, 2005).
