We investigate if the gender gap in conceptual understanding in an introductory university physics course can be reduced by using interactive engagement methods that promote in-class interaction, reduce competition, foster collaboration, and emphasize conceptual understanding. To this end we analyzed data from the introductory calculus-based physics course for non-majors at Harvard University taught traditionally or using different degrees of interactive engagement. Our results show that teaching with certain interactive strategies not only yields significantly increased understanding for both males and females, but also reduces the gender gap. In the most interactively taught courses, the pre-instruction gender gap was gone by the end of the semester.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
February 2006
February 01 2006
Reducing the gender gap in the physics classroom
Mercedes Lorenzo;
Mercedes Lorenzo
Department of Physics and Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences,
Harvard University
, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 and IES Universidad Laboral
, Avenida de La Mancha, s∕n, 02080 Albacete, Spain
Search for other works by this author on:
Catherine H. Crouch;
Catherine H. Crouch
a)
Department of Physics and Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences,
Harvard University
, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 and Department of Physics, Swarthmore College
, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081
Search for other works by this author on:
Eric Mazur
Eric Mazur
Department of Physics and Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences,
Harvard University
, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
Search for other works by this author on:
a)
Electronic mail: ccrouch1@swarthmore.edu
Am. J. Phys. 74, 118–122 (2006)
Article history
Received:
July 26 2005
Accepted:
December 02 2005
Connected Content
A correction has been published:
Erratum: “Reducing the gender gap in the physics classroom” [Am. J. Phys. 74 (2), 118–122 (2006)]
Citation
Mercedes Lorenzo, Catherine H. Crouch, Eric Mazur; Reducing the gender gap in the physics classroom. Am. J. Phys. 1 February 2006; 74 (2): 118–122. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2162549
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign In
You could not be signed in. Please check your credentials and make sure you have an active account and try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionPay-Per-View Access
$40.00
Citing articles via
Related Content
Gender differences in students’ numerical literacy in the STEAM classroom
AIP Conference Proceedings (April 2023)
Introductory Physics Gender Gaps: Pre‐ and Post‐Studio Transition
AIP Conference Proceedings (November 2009)
Gender in the Physics Classroom
The Physics Teacher (May 2007)
Sex and Gender as Non-binary: What Does this Mean for Physics Teachers?
The Physics Teacher (September 2020)
Assessing gender differences in response system questions for an introductory physics course
American Journal of Physics (March 2013)