Schoolwide News
The experience of girls in mathematics is one that is very important to me. As a teenager, despite being reassured that I could pursue any field, I distanced myself from mathematics. This wasn't for lack of interest – I would spend my Saturdays playing math games and figuring out math puzzles. I loved card games of strategy and calculation. But I internalized the unsaid message that math wasn’t suited for girls, including me. While I was overtly told I could achieve anything, the subtle, implicit message suggested my brain wasn't right for math. Unfortunately, girls today continue to encounter these misleading signals.
One prominent issue is the gender disparity among math teachers, particularly in upper-level courses where men predominate. Children often look for role models with whom they can identify, and the scarcity of female role models in math can dissuade girls from pursuing careers in this field. Moreover, many elementary school teachers, primarily women, unintentionally convey their own math anxiety, which students can pick up on. Public figures—such as popular news anchors and musicians—sometimes openly admit their math anxieties and challenges, reinforcing negative stereotypes. Additionally, women remain underrepresented in senior STEM roles and male hosts dominate YouTube science and math channels.
Culturally, girls often tie their self-confidence more closely to performance than boys do. In "The Confidence Code" by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, a Hewlett-Packard study revealed that while men apply for jobs meeting only 60% of qualifications, women hesitate unless they meet every requirement. This contributes to a leadership gap, with fewer women in senior positions.
In classroom settings, this issue becomes evident. Boys often raise their hands and contribute thoughts even if they're not fully sure, while girls tend to wait for certainty before speaking up. Consequently, more boys end up contributing when participation is based on volunteering. This creates a feedback loop where girls don't see others like them participating, and tend to keep quiet as a way to fit into the classroom culture.
Cordelia Fine's "Delusions of Gender" explains that girls are socialized to be more concerned with others' perceptions from a young age, which feeds into a debilitating perfectionism. To counteract this, it is crucial for educators to foster environments where risk-taking is encouraged, allowing girls to express half-formed ideas without fear of judgment, and normalize working through partially-formed ideas out loud.
In next week's article, I'll talk about strategies that we can use in the classroom and at home to address these differences in socialization of boys and girls to create a more equitable learning situation for girls in the mathematics classrooms.