Abstract
<p style="text-align:justify">Gender differences in mathematics learning outcomes are still evident in many countries participating in large scale international testing, as well as in national testing in Israel, the context in which the study reported here was conducted. The participants were 281 students from three Israeli elementary schools and were in grades 4 and 6. The students completed a questionnaire with items based on a selection of variables included in explanatory models for gender differences in mathematics. It was found that many students held gendered beliefs related to mathematics learning, particularly when the questions asked related to themselves or to significant others in their lives (parents and teachers); the views of the majority of students were gender neutral. When presented with two photographs -a man, and a woman- and asked who was the one more likely to work with mathematics, it was clear that the students’ choices and explanations echoed perceptions of mathematics as a male domain.</p>
Highlights
In mathematics educational settings, students’ attitudes and beliefs are often regarded less seriously than their mathematical thinking processes and outcomes
The extent to which people hold gender-stereotyped beliefs about mathematics varies by country, that is, cultural factors are at play
The majority of children did not hold gender stereotyped views about girls or boys being better at mathematics, or finding mathematics difficult, or whether it was more important for girls or boys to study mathematics (Items 1-3)
Summary
Students’ attitudes and beliefs are often regarded less seriously than their mathematical thinking processes and outcomes. When it comes to gender differences in mathematics learning outcomes (achievement and future participation in mathematics), affective factors are found to serve a critical role. The extent to which people hold gender-stereotyped beliefs about mathematics varies by country, that is, cultural factors are at play. It was found that “among those who held gender-stereotyped views..., mathematics, science, and computing were considered more suitable for males than for females” Respondents from each country indicated that mathematics was generally considered to be an important study for both girls and boys
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