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Maths Should Not Be Taught In Elementary Schools Essay

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As a science major who once attended a University where the distribution of men to women was about 40:60, it was odd to look around and see that most of the students enrolled as science majors were men. So why is it that the majority of people who decide to pursue a science education and continue on in their professional career as scientists are men? Job growth in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is rising and continues to rise, but women hold very little of the available positions. Girls are no longer falling way behind boys in their math and science performance and the amount of jobs are increasing, yet girls are still discouraged from going down STEM paths. It is believed that the idea that women should not pursue STEM programs is silently placed into their heads from a very young age (1). Girls in elementary schools usually have male science and math teachers, which causes them to believe that those who participate or enjoy STEM studies are usually more masculine. A study was done and shows that girls who believe that math is strictly for men do not do as well in math as girls who do not see it from the same perspective (2). This makes it more difficult for a young girl to openly express that she enjoys STEM courses especially since as she progresses through school, the majority of the students in her science and math classes will be male (1). Based on observational studies done in math and science classrooms, it has been found that the

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