Gender gap in math confidence is studied

Gender gap in math confidence is studied

CHICAGO, July 26 (UPI) -- A survey of middle school girls suggests their self-confidence in math suffers when their parents believe math is a male domain

Researchers Ruchi Bhanot and Jasna Jovanovic of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which released research data Tuesday, said a gender gap exists in math and science, but it's a gap about performance or achievement.

"It's about attitudes," said Jovanovic, a professor of human and community development. "Girls are not as confident about math and science."

According to the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 71 percent of eighth-grade boys and 60 percent of eighth-grade girls reported confidence in their math ability. The gender gap in confidence persists into high school.

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http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20050726-12492400-bc-us-mathgap.xml

I am a female and graduated college with a BS Math major. Growing up I was constantly met with scepticism about my abilities in math. All that did was make me want to prove them all wrong and work harder. That is why I say it depends on the person.

Did your parents encourage you or discourage you because you are a woman?

I'm sure that this is all dependent upon the individual (there are always exceptions) but the study is interesting because it shows that parents can have a negative effect if they buy into gender stereotypes.

My dad definitely thought that a girl could not excel in math. He was shocked when I told him that I was going to be a math major.

That makes you a rare individual and while I'm sure you are already proud of your achievements this just gives you one more reason.

Daughter recently graduated summa cum laude in math at a major university, and pursued career long enough to want to get a master's in east Asian studies. She thinks her education encouraged too much yin (or yang, whichever is male--I mix them up).