Girls andMath:  Achieving Equality inMathematics Education

Midterm

MackenzieHamilton

Math G

March 18,2002

Historically, females who displayed an interestin or wished to pursue an academic career were considered as"unfeminine" and "unattractive." Those who did venture downthat path could become educators under false identities, either disguised asmen, or perhaps forced to lecture under a male predecessors names. Joining theconvent was another commonality; if a woman was academically inclined it wasassumed that "there is usually something wrong with her sexualorgans" (Nietzsche- reported by Gutbezahl) , so the opportunity to become educatedhowever celibate as a nun seemed like a good option. Inherited beliefs of whatwas the "proper" way for young ladies to behave were how many womenmade their choices early on. Mothers, aunts, female role-models were oftenreminiscent of the stereotypical female roles (homemaker, seamstress, or acook...); it has also been observed that many young women who did pursue anacademic career were often times encouraged by the male(s) in their life.Mathematics especially was a subject that was deemed much too difficult for thefemale brain to comprehend. Historically, it was never acknowledged that thereare different approaches in the female verses male learning processes. Overtime this fact has changed dramatically, albeit today young women are stillunderrepresented in the world of mathematics. It has been suggested thatperhaps it is an "environmental" factor, that the thousands of yearsof social conditioning that is the essence behind the female attitudes andlearning habits toward mathematics. Or perhaps, maybe, that it is biological,that the differences are imbedded into our physiological makeup ('~he CurrentSituation.") Although these thoughts are important, they mostly onlyanswer the question of "why" women do not extend themselves into themathematical realm. It becomes increasingly important to look beyond that, anddiscover "how" and "what" actions must occur in order tomake this change happen.

Defining Equity

In her book, Mathematics and Gender,Elizabeth Fennema states that the main goal for most math & gender studiesis to obtain and promote ways of equality in mathematics learning and teaching.The dictionary definition of equality is highlighted by two terms, fairness and impartiality, both of which still remain to be proven in theresearch on mathematics education. Attempting to acclaim 'justice" in themathematics education circle is defined in three separate "Equity"scenarios: (1) Equity as equal educational opportunity, (2) equity as equaleducational treatment, (3) equity as equal educational outcome. It is importantto look at equity in each of these sections. to help define the meaning ofequity in the context of mathematics learning.

Equity as an educationalopportunity" - initially teachers teach their classes with noacknowledgement or consideration of different learning processes in males andfemales. As children progress in the educational "ladder" a differentpattern begins to appear. Students either go down separate tracks or the studyof mathematics becomes an option. When it comes down to who took the moreadvanced mathematics courses, it was the males. In legal terms 'equity' isconstrued as equal opportunity.. even when legal equity exists an observationof actual practice uncovers that there is not equality in mathematics (Fennema3, 1990). "Equity as equal educational Treatment"- in other wordsdefined as equality of mathematical experiences in school. If this definitionwere true then it would be virtually impossible to detect any discrepanciesbetween males' and females' interaction with the teacher in the classroom."Equity as Equal Educational Outcomes"- defined, there would be nodifferences in the attainment of important educational outcomes for males andfemales. Males, more than females, are able to successfully shift the mathlearning from the classroom to real-life complex problem solving, even whenthey are involved in the same classes. Personal belief systems also play alarge part in whether or not to pursue a mathematics-related career. If femalesare conditioned to believe their performance in advanced math can only be to acertain level then their determination to learn will be cut-off early."Thus it is clear that, if justice is equity in outcomes of mathematicseducation, justice for the sexes has not yet been achieved" (Fennema4,.1990).

Once schooling is complete there mustbe no differential treatment of males and females, there should be nodifference in the information learned or presented, and there should not be anygender differences in how students feel about themselves as learners ofmathematics (Fennema 5, 1990). Justice has not been served by any of thesethree definitions of equity.

Social Conditioning/Environmental Variables affecting

Equity in Mathematics learning for Girls

Most studies conducted on female versesmale achievements in mathematics have been based on a scale of male mathematicsstandards. This is stating that females' achievements and beliefs aboutthemselves should be compared to males', not a same gender comparison (Fennema1, 1990). So, right from the start these results of course show that femalescome to believe they are not as capable, not as apt to learn as much as males,and exhibit a lower confidence level. The belief systems and teaching practicesstemming from here usually result in a biased opinion for most of society.There are teachers and researchers that claim girls and boys do not differ intheir capability to learn

mathematics, however, the differential classroomtreatment still occurs. It occurs because the belief systems and socialconditioning patterns go hand-in-hand. Female achievement is not measured on anunbiased scale, so it becomes impossible to determine the full implications offemale math achievement. (Fennema 1, 1990)

It is not until around age 10 or by the time they enter third gradethat many female students tend to shy away from participation in math class andmath related topics- this is attributed to the social conditioning. (Gutbezahl)According to Gutbezahl's research she also reported "no significantdifferences between boys' and girls' math achievement in elementary school, andfew differences at any age." (Gutbezahl 1) Each of these statementsrepresents a slightly different viewpoint. "Females are socialized fromthe time they are very young to avoid risk taking- and in the culture of theUnited States mathematics or technology may be seen as risky business forfemales (The Current Situation). From the day of their births, femalesmay be put into a corner with negative (socially speaking) expectations castupon them. The media, their peers and parents all have various expectations ofthe females' role. Their skills, their self imposed academic expectations andachievements are different from the males in their lives. While some of theseexpectations may be positive, to the older females it becomes more apparentthat society has stilt deemed only certain activities as acceptable for femalesin our world. The perception of what role girls should play, at least sociallyspeaking in the classroom, does not include an aggressive move toward mathparticipation. No matter how much energy a teacher may put toward wanting tosee the equality in the students it will never happen without sufficientpositive reinforcement from the outside influences - in other words, attitudesmust change in order to bridge the gap (ERIC digest- Schwartz & Hanson1992.)

Influences in the Home

The change in attitude toward mathlearning for females should initially begin in the home environment. Parents andor caretakers must allow young females to participate in playing with toys thatwill enhance their future math abilities. These toys can enhance spatialunderstanding, ultimately creating a better grasp on aspects of geometry,calculus, and trigonometry. By playing with "action" toys, malesbecome comfortable in their physical world, therefore they are able to easilyvisualize a three-dimensional object, and understand the function of velocityand angles. (ERIC digest- Schwartz &Hanson. 1992) Whereas females mustconstruct these mathematical concepts without any prior (or minimal) child-playexperience, seemingly it has no connection for them to their process oflearning mathematics. Confidence and control will be instilled in youngfemales, so when they get to school there is already a positive path towardmathematics. "As children

grow, they are often unconsciously encouraged to adoptsex-stereotyped roles." (The Current Situation) It is up to theparents and caretakers to take a CONSCIOUS role in enforcing positive thoughtsand actions toward highlighting mathematics as a viable subject of interest topursue. Once the female children leave the care of their homes, school is thenext major feat to overcome. Schools are overrun with teachers who are uneducatedin new methods of teaching, methods that have the possibility of makingmathematics "accessible" and "attractive" tofemales. Programs and alternative teaching styles are more readily availableand give being implemented with extensive care. Again, it is not only going tobe the teachers who will make the opportunities happen. As girls progress intothe classroom the parent- teacher relationship, and a positive andunderstanding teacher-student relationship is critical in the overall processto boost female success in mathematics or math related subjects.

Classroom Dynamic

For classrooms in America, the overall understandingis that there are no intentional obstacles (on the school or teachers' part)that attempt to divert females from electing mathematics courses- the messagebeing that the freedom to elect math as an academic interest is available. Itis simply deduced that because there is equal opportunity in electing mathclasses and not tracking by sex, then there is in turn "equity" inmathematics. However, from further observation, it will be noted that therealistic occurrence is that males (once in secondary school) will elect totake more advanced math classes than females (Fennema 3, 1990). It is when thetaking of mathematics courses becomes optional that the difference of males'verses female enrollment begins to shows up. Becoming acquainted with the '~language" of mathematics is crucial at an early age, this will assurecontinued success of females in the subject of mathematics. Another observationis the interaction between teachers and boys - it is more prominent, the boyscommand more attention, thus receiving more of the teacher's time. (cited inThe Current Situation) However, according to Fennema, there is nopositive proof that increased interaction between girls and their teachers willdrastically improve girls' attitudes toward math learning. (Fennema, 2-2002) Itis merely the effect from the cause of so many other observed differences inmath learning that may affect these processes.

In the classroom, the"Differential Discourse" (classroom communication and dialogue)becomes quite evident when females and males work so closely together in aconsistent manner. Females are taught for the most part to be verballycommunicative, to work in groups, and often feel the need to include others.Males, on the other hand are able to use their child play abilities to quicklygrasp the mathematics language and concepts that are now formally taught in theclassroom. They are also more adept at

performing on an individualized basis (ERIC digest-Schwartz & Hanson 1992.) It is evident that the overall message that"math is for males." Again, the social conditioning factor lends itshand in the reasoning behind these differences in the classroom. Under suchcircumstances, the feeling of intimidation and dismay over math for females inthe classroom is not a wonder. In a study conducted by Kraemer and Treichler(noted in The Current Situation), men and women in a college settingwere interviewed and asked to make statements of opinion on the structure ofthe learning process (between males and females).

As to whether or not they thought therewere "differential discourse styles" appeared in their answers, thewomen focused on "mutual support and the building of collaborativeknowledge" and the males based their focus on "individual expertiseand the presentation and debate around abstract concepts." However, it isnot the meshing of the two thoughts that make for an equal opportunity learningenvironment, in fact there is no meshing, only more segregation. It is the wayin which the discourse is acted out, and it is most often in the traditional"non-personal hierarchical classroom" structure (in support of themale discourse model) that is most prominent. It is the teacher's position tocurb this process and redirect it to become less hierarchical and moreinclusive of all students in both genders at every level of learning capacity.

The lack of confidence to perform well inmath courses will affect females the whole way through their academic careers,starting in elementary school and continuing through college. Overall,confidence will influence a students' willingness to attempt new material andto persist when the material becomes too challenging (Fennema- Meyer, Koehler61, 1990). Confidence is also reflected in a women's continued participation inadvanced math courses and career aspirations in quantitative fields. As Lederpoints out, just because a female performs lower in mathematics, it is not somuch the function of inability, rather it is the "internalization of, andconforming to, the expectations of others" (Leder 20, 1990). Attempting toshow the usefulness of mathematics for females is another obstacle to overcome.If the usefulness of mathematics can be exemplified through women role modelswith careers that utilize math in a variety of ways, then females will be moreapt to pursue an advanced education. In Marla Parker's book, She Does Math.it features many different women with jobs ranging from Civil Engineering toEnvironmental Psychology to Fish Pathology- all using mathematics but in a widevariety of ways. Each woman tells her own story - how she got into thatparticular position and why they feel so strongly toward a robust math learningexperience. After each section there are actual problems shown, problems thatthey can encounter on a daily basis (Parker 1995). This book is not only motivational for a womanpursuing a future

career in a math-related field but is also realistic.Showing the possibilities for the future are important but the more relevant(especially for young females) is their present learning environment.

Achieving equity in the mathematicsfield is a subject that encompasses many variables. It is unfortunate that mostof these variables always refer back to the environmental and socialconditioning. For the most part, the mathematics learning opportunities forfemales are not even given a chance. Before most females can walk or even talk,their destiny in math or a math-related field has been pre-determined. Theprocess by which our society is going through to improve this experience hasbeen slow and in many cases ineffective. The variables discussed within thispaper are only a small part of how and what needs to be done in order toachieve justice in the quest for equality.

There is no question about it, equalityin math education must be achieved, through influences in the home, treatmentin school (integration programs), and interaction between peers- equal mathlearning opportunities shall be accomplished.

Midterm References

www.ed.gov/databases/ERICDigests/ed344977.html accessed on March 1, 2002

Schwartz,Wendy Hanson - Hanson, Katherine

EqualMathematics Education for Female Students ERIC/CUE Digest. #78

TheEducational Resources Information Center (ERIC)

http://eric-web.tc.colombia.edu/monographs/ti17 current.html accessed on March 1,2002

TheCurrent Situation

Authorunknown

http://www.woodro.0r2/teachers/math/Qender/O2fenflema.htmi

accessedon March 10, 2002 Elizabeth Fennema Gender Equity in Mathematics andScience

Fennema,E. (1990) "Justice, Equity, and Mathematics Education" in

Fennema,E. & Leder, C. Mathematics and Gender. New York, NY:

Teacher'sCollege Press.

Leder, C.(1990) "Gender Differences in Mathematics" in Fennema, E. &

Leder, G.Mathematics and Gender. New York,NY: Teacher's College

Press.

Meyer, M.(1990) "Internal Influences on Gender Differences in

Mathematics"in Fennema, E. & Leder, C. Mathematics and Gender New

York, NY:Teacher's College Press.

Parker, M. (1995) She Does Math! Real Life Problemsfrom Women on the job Washington D.C.The Mathematical Association of America.

Ed.Fennema, E. & Romberg, T. (1999) Mathematics Classrooms that promoteunderstanding New Jersey: LawrenceErlbaum Associates. Inc.