The Gendered Cost of Lower Grades: Women's Physics Perceived Recognition and Identity Suffer Disproportionately If They Earn Less Than A Grade

TL;DR

This study reveals that lower grades negatively impact students' physics identity and perceived recognition, with women experiencing disproportionately larger declines when earning less than an A, highlighting gendered perceptions in STEM education.

Contribution

It uncovers gender-specific effects of course grades on physics identity and recognition, emphasizing the nonlinear impact of lower grades and mediating effects.

Findings

Students with less than A grade showed declines in physics identity and recognition.

Women experienced larger declines in recognition and identity when earning less than A.

Perceived recognition fully mediated the relationship between grades and identity.

Abstract

Perceptions of disciplinary recognition and identity can be shaped by various forms of feedback and experiences. Here we focus on the potential effects of course grades on the perceievd recognition and physics identity of students. We analyze patterns in changes in physics identity and perceived recognition from pre course to post course across three cohorts of university students enrolled in calculus-based Physics 1 (N=1,681). Students not receiving A grade, on average, showed declines in physics identity and perceived recognition. Even a B grade resulted in declines, and the declines were nonlinear across lower grades. Changes in perceived recognition fully mediated the changes in identity. Importantly, women showed significantly larger declines in identity and perceived recognition, compared to men, if they got less than A grade. The gender moderation was specifically localized to changes in perceived recognition, with no further gender effects on identity beyond the cascading effects on perceived recognition.