The Mathematical Abilities of Women Essay

Historically boys were top of the class. Today that is no longer the case. A recent article in The Economist discusses a 2009 study by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) that examined how 15-year-old boys and girls performed in reading, mathematics and science. They found that girls are performing better than their male classmates. This gender gap is worldwide. Girls score higher than boys on tests measuring reading ability in every country in the world (Loveless).

Women in the Math World Works Cited Not Included Math is commonly known as the man’s major. Many college math professors are men and the same goes for their students. "One study revealed that women accounted for 15% of students in computer science, 16% in electrical engineering,. . . Gender splits in the faculty were similar" (Cukier).

Interestingly enough, there are many traditional and social reasons responsible for girls decision of not getting involved in math and science. However, the main reason why females are behind in the field of science and technology is “Inflicted female disability” i.e. turning themselves away from studies. In adolescence, girls begin to fear that they will be unattractive to boys if they are typed as “brains” (Susan 114). So, they try to keep themselves away from advanced biology, physics, calculus and other studious subjects. Although we are in the 21st century and are the supporter of gender equality however the underlying discrimination

A further possibility in explaining the differences in educational achievement in regard to educational system changes could be the phasing out of more practical subjects that have historically been advantageous for boys, the majority of whom are kinaesthetic learners and do better with this type of examination. In the past where subjects such as woodwork or design technology consisted of largely practical assessments (making or designing things); they now consist more of exams which probably do not suit boy as much as the practical, kinaesthetic way of learning and being assessed. This can be said for many other traditional subjects, such as the sciences, which used to contain more actual experimentation that students would be graded on, but has now become more exam based. Girls on the other hand learn better either through visualising or listening which could favour them in exams. This could be the reason why girls, when these sorts of subjects were more practical didn’t do as well as boys, but since the changes, have enabled them to do better than the boys.

While I agree that by the time I got to college, I sought to choose a career based on my interests and not social standards of gender, I was not always this way as a child. Growing up, I was strong in science and math, but I struggled with reading. My third grade teacher told me, “Girls are good at reading. They hate math.” At that point, I thought something was wrong with me, because I liked math and not reading. I also tended to play more with boys and preferred

In the article, “When Bright girls Decide Math is a Waste of Time”, the narrator tells us that she dropped a math class, so that she could take a theater class, even though she had one of the best grades in her class. She concluded that math and science are masculine subject and she needed to be in something more feminine like art or theater. She also shows stats that girls at age thirteen were better than boys in masculine subject of algebra. This article show us the society says women should shy away from math and science even though they are very good at it. This is one definition that is being drastically changed.

Most of this gender disparity starts early. As early as in grade school. Young girls are rarely motivated to take Math and Science. This can be problematic because studies show that a lack in intellectual belief can in turn inhibit intellectual growth. There is also that persistent unconscious bias that Science and Math are male fields while females tend to do well

The discovery of interests in school begins at a young age, “career aspirations based on individual aptitudes, interests, and values are formulated during adolescence and shape the academic choices that lead to the STEM career pipeline” (Wang 771). Girls may discover that they are interested in science or mathematics at an early age, but they are generally compared to their male counterparts, who are given more attention at a younger age to pursue careers in this field. This time frame is critical, if attention is not given and more concentration is placed, girls may lose interest or consideration in the subject, seeing that it has nothing to offer for them. Jill Bystydzienski asserts, “little attention is paid, however to girls’ engagements with engineering during early stages of decision making” (1-2). If young females were given personal interactions with a field, they can then decide if they have a further interest in the subject. With no introduction to the field in middle school or even high school, the girls do not really understand what they can do with the profession. Some may explore options on their own, and others may just bypass the opportunities that could await them, “young girls cannot possibly consider opportunities they do not know exist” (“Why STEM”). Even when interest is expressed by girls at a young age they still do not have as many resources to opportunities to learn more about the

Interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is thinning for women as they progress into higher levels. Women in grades 7-12 were surveyed to see if their interest in STEM fields were diminishing. According to Van Leuvan, this survey showed that there was a decline in interest as these girls progress through high school. Throughout middle school and junior high a love for mathematics can be developed. However, a loss of interest is present as soon as girls hit more demanding classes like calculus. Grades will highly diminished and a fear for comprehension of mathematics in the future will develope. According to the article “Women and Minorities in Engineering” a major outlook on success from students is their ability to understand calculus.

Throughout much of history, women have been viewed as inferior to men. In the 1800s and early 1900s, women were not allowed to hold the same jobs or

Everything I've read so far states that a gender gap exists in science, while opinions about math vary. I found a paper on the Internet from the National Center for Education Statistics called “Trends In Educational Equity of Girls & Women.” Using information

The class I was in when observing had boys and girls raging from ages of 3 to 5 with two female teachers. Ages 3, 4 and 5 are years with huge growth in developmental milestones for kids. They go through many physical, cognitive, emotional/social and language changes from the time the become young children instead of toddlers. Observing a room full of girls and boys I got to compare and contrast the differences in the way each gender develops. It is said girls and boys usually develop at different rates. During my observations I saw that girls and boys not necessarily developed at different rates, but develop in different areas quicker than the other gender. Physically yes, boys were slightly taller and more filled out than girls. Both genders were very high energy,

Our girls are getting the message that boys are better capable of handling different tasks, and therefore, need to be trained by giving them more responsibilities. I bet that Madeline Alberight or Dr. Elizabeth Verba did not accept this philosophy in life. Such methods of thinking reduces a girls self esteem and decreases her chances of getting a higher education and fulfilling goals of becoming world leaders, scientists, inventors, educators or even good mothers.

Females are better at verbalizing and verbal tasks and use double the amount of words than males when talking. Females also learn how to read and write earlier than males and also have a superior sensory system. Females use their five senses much better and are able to remember sensory information easier and have better hearing ranges than males (Sasser). It may often seem that males do not pay attention in the classroom, but in reality it may not be a case of attention at all. Males actually might not hear the frequency or pitch of the teacher’s voice, so in turn a teacher needs to talk louder. Females may take this the wrong way and consider it yelling when in fact the teacher is just trying to get everybody’s attention (Moton). Males are able to spatially process information better. Having this advantage makes them better at multiple skills such as motor skills, mental manipulation of objects, mathematical and abstract reasoning, processing symbols and pictures, navigation, and computer processing (Sasser).

Unconsciously or not, they consistently reinforce and reward more 'feminine' behavior. Although it may be true that boys are more active than girls, but to say that they are treated differently is to be overly generalizing the situation. A teacher is supposed to be able to handle different types of children in the classroom, and cater to their activeness or passiveness in a class. For example, a teacher would try to involve a quiet and shy student as often as possible. The same goes for an active child; the teacher should be able to find activities for that child which would not only educate them, but also keep them busy.