Chair: John V. Dempsey

 The purpose of this study was to compare high school level males and females in their game-playing and learning strategies, motivation to use a computer-based mathematics game, beliefs about mathematics and computers, and mathematics performance. Participants included five ninth-grade classes enrolled in Algebra I. All participants played a computer-based game to review previously learned algebra topics. Participants completed the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales (Fennema & Sherman, 1976), the Computer Attitude Scale (Shashaani, 1993), and the Visualization in Two-Dimensions Test (Flanagan, Davis, Dailey, Shaycoft, Orr, Goldberg, & Neyman, 1964).  The attitude scales indicated that males were more likely than females to stereotype both mathematics and computers as male domains. Following the use of the computer-based game, males showed increased beliefs for stereotyping mathematics as a male domain.  The beliefs for stereotyping computers as a male domain did not change after using the game. Mathematics performance was measured by an algebra pretest, an immediate posttest, and a delayed posttest. No differences resulted between males and females for their algebra performance. After the treatment period, the students completed the Motivational Gaming Scale (Dempsey, Lucassen, Haynes, & Casey, 1997).

Qualitative data were collected to analyze the students' strategies and reasons for motivation. The students participated in focus group interviews, wrote daily journals, and wrote a personal letter to a friend. Females gave more evidence of using metacognitive, cognitive and cooperative strategies. Males gave more reports that they did not have a specified strategy. Both males and females indicated their strategy was to challenge themselves. Females showed higher motivation through relevance. Males were more highly motivated by challenge in terms of self-esteem. Both males and females indicated they were motivated by success opportunities. This study shows that males and females are both interested in the use of a computer-based mathematics game, although they take a different approach and have different
reasons to engage in the game. Implications are offered for the design of computer-based instructional games.