Examining Gender Differences in the Impact of Instructional Clarity on Year 9 Students' Mathematics Interest in New Zealand: A Multi-Group Comparison of 2019 TIMSS Data

Abstract: Grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), this study explores how teacher instruction clarity impacts Year 9 students' mathematics interest through the mediating roles of confidence and value, with a focus on gender differences. Structural equation modelling applied to the 2019 New Zealand TIMSS dataset (2,594 girls and 2,651 boys) supports the SCCT framework. While confidence and value have similar mediating effects for boys, confidence plays a more pivotal role for girls. Gender differences are primarily observed in the value-mediated pathway, underscoring persistent challenges to achieving educational equity through teachers' instruction in New Zealand.