This study investigated whether gender and motivation influence the academic achievement of schoolchildren between the ages of 7 and 12. School achievement was measured using the the “Centraal...Show moreThis study investigated whether gender and motivation influence the academic achievement of schoolchildren between the ages of 7 and 12. School achievement was measured using the the “Centraal Instituut voor ToetsOntwikkeling” (CITO) test for technical reading, spelling and math. Motivation was measured using the “Prestatie Motivatie Test voor Kinderen” (PMT-K). It is a general assumption that girls perform better than boys when it comes to language skills. Boys on the other hand do better in math. This study focused on these differences with an independent t-test. It was also examined with a multiple regression if motivation influenced these differences in school achievement. It was expected that motivation and gender influenced academic achievement. Boys should be better in math and girls in spelling and comprehensive reading. Boys and girls should be evenly motivated. The results showed that boys scored significantly higher on math skills than girls. Surprisingly, no significant differences were found for reading and spelling. Furthermore, no significant differences were found for achievement motivation. However, girls scored higher on the subscales negative social anxiety and social desirability and boys scored higher on positive social anxiety. Social desirability and achievement motivation were significant predictors of spelling and math. This research showed that there is a small difference in achievement between boys and girls and motivation and gender partially influenced these school achievements. This study offers further incentive to investigate gender differences in the school environment.Show less
