DIFFER Seminar: Gender gaps in introductory physics courses may not represent gaps in physics knowledge

Abstract: Prof. Cassandra Paul and David Webb have spent the last several years cataloguing ways that average grade differences between different demographic groups can be minimized or removed by changing the structure of the introductory physics course in question. In 2023 we pointed out this general conclusion with a paper (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.19.020126) that included evidence that commonly seen average grade differences between men and women in these courses seem to disappear when the students in the class are allowed to take a “retake” exam after they learn the results of each exam they take during the term. Since that publication we have gotten many suggestions for how it might be that this gender gap disappears. In this talk we will show evidence(https://doi.org/10.1103/ngrs-dxtf) consistent with the conclusion that the gender gap disappears because the importance of an exam (the stakes associated with the exam) produces/inflates the gender gap despite there being no underlying gap in physics understanding/skill.