Do Boys and Girls Learn the Same Way? A Preliminary Study in Primary Education Analyzing Gender Differences.

espanolIntroduccion. Las diferencias en el aprendizaje de las matematicas entre ninos y ninas son controvertidas segun diferentes estudios. Sin embargo, esas divergencias no siempre son respaldadas por estudios empiricos. Uno de los aspectos especificos de dificultad es el aprendizaje en la fluidez de calculo: ser capaz de calcular con precision y rapidez. El presente estudio analizo las diferencias de genero en la fluidez de calculo. Metodo. Los participantes fueron estudiantes de segundo ciclo de educacion primaria (n =138), con edades comprendidas entre 101-133 meses (8 anos y 4 meses a 11 anos). Los participantes fueron 50 ninas y 88 ninos. Resultados. Los analisis estadisticos no mostraron diferencias entre ninos y ninas en el 3er grado de educacion primaria. Sin embargo, en el 4° grado, las diferencias se mostraron significativas en la tarea de fluidez de calculo. Estos resultados fueron respaldados por el analisis multivariante y el calculo del tamano del efecto. Discusion and Conclusion. Los datos sugieren una brecha de genero en torno a los 9 anos entre ninos y ninas, que beneficiaria a los ninos en las puntuaciones de fluidez de calculo. Se discuten los resultados, las limitaciones y las futuras lineas de investigacion EnglishIntroduction. Differences in learning mathematics between boys and girls are being controversial according to different studies. However, those divergences are not always supported by empirical studies. One of the specific sources of difficulties on this topic is the fluency calculation learning, where performance differences between boys and girls need be clarified by new research, in order to gain more differentiated insights in possibly emerging gender differ, because the social and gender consequences. The current study analysed the gender differences in fluency calculation. Method. Participants were students of second cycle of primary education (n = 138), aged from 101-133 months old (8 year and 4 months to 11 year). Participants were 50 girls and 88 boys. Results. Statistical analyses did not showed differences between boys and girls in the 3rd grade of primary education. However, in the 4th grade the differences did reveal significant differences in the fluency calculation task. These results were supported by effect size and mutivariant analysis calculation. Discussion and Conclusion. Data suggests a gender gap around aged 9 between boys and girls, that would benefit boys in fluency calculation scores. Results, limitations and future potential research of the topic are discussed.