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Persistent gender inequities in mathematics achievement and expectations in Australia, Canada and the UK

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Abstract

We report the general public’s perceptions and those of 15-year-old school students, about aspects of mathematics learning. For the adult sample, survey data were gathered from pedestrians and Facebook users in Australia, Canada and the UK—countries in which English is the dominant language spoken. Participants responded to items about the teaching and learning of mathematics, the gender stereotyping of mathematics and the perceived importance of studying mathematics for future careers. Collection of the data from the pedestrian samples partially overlapped with the period of data gathering via Facebook and coincided loosely with the administration of the Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA] 2012 in the three countries of interest. We examined participants’ views/beliefs by country and by respondent age. We also compared the results of the adult samples with student responses to four PISA 2012 attitudinal items for which the foci were comparable to items administered to the general public. Thus, we were able to compare the responses of three different age groups. While participants considered mathematics to be important for everyone to study, and important for employment, vestiges of traditional gender stereotyped beliefs and expectations were evident, more so among the younger than older respondents.

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Notes

  1. Information retrieved (September 2014) from: http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.lib.monash.edu.au/action/showMostAccessedArticles?journalCode=jresematheduc

  2. In this article, we use gender to describe differences between males and females that are not attributable to biology; sex is used to denote biologically based differences. Gender, as a term, evolved following debates on whether all differences can be attributed to biology alone. Researchers in earlier times often used sex when today gender would be used; as appropriate, we have respected earlier authors’ terminology use.

  3. Facebook’s advertising system is competitive, that is, the amount paid influences the frequency that an advertisement might appear on the Facebook pages of random users. Clicking on the advertisement was necessarily voluntary, as was completion of the survey. A detailed description of the procedure used to invite participants via Facebook is provided in Forgasz, Leder and Tan (2014).

  4. The ABS data for 2012 guided the original selection of 40 years as the cut-off point. The ABS (2016) data confirmed thestability of the median age of the Australian population.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Karen Skilling (UK) and Jennifer Hall (Canada) for gathering the pedestrian survey data in the UK and Canada, and Natalie Kalkhoven for assisting with the production of the graphs and data analyses. Funding to support the conduct of this study was received from the Faculty of Education, Monash University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Monash University, 29 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia

    Helen J. Forgasz & Gilah C. Leder

Authors
  1. Helen J. Forgasz
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  2. Gilah C. Leder
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Correspondence to Helen J. Forgasz.

Appendix

Appendix

The full set of survey items, with closed response options and supplementary prompts shown in parentheses:

  • When you were at school, did you like learning Mathematics? [Yes/No/Unsure. Why do you say that?]

  • Were you good at Mathematics? [Yes/No/Average. Why do you say that?]

  • Has the teaching of Mathematics changed since you were at school? [Yes/No/Don’t know. If “yes”, how?]

  • Should students study Mathematics when it is no longer compulsory? [Yes/No/Don’t know. Why do you say that?]

  • Who are better at Mathematics, girls or boys? [Girls/Boys/Same/Don’t know. Why do you say that]

  • Do you think this has changed over time? [Yes/No/Don’t know. If “Yes”, how have things changed?]

  • Who do parents think are better at Mathematics, girls or boys? [Girls/Boys/Same/Don’t know. Why do you say that?]

  • Who do teachers think are better at Mathematics, girls or boys? [Girls/Boys/Same/Don’t know. Why do you say that?]

  • Do you think that studying Mathematics is important for getting a job? [Yes/No/Don’t know. If “Yes”, why do you say that?]

  • Is it more important for girls or boys to study Mathematics? [Girls/Boys/Same/Don’t know. Why do you say that?]

  • Who are better at using calculators, girls or boys? [Girls/Boys/Same/Don’t know. Why do you think that?]

  • Who are better at using computers, girls or boys? [Girls/Boys/Same/Don’t know. Why do you think that?]

  • Who are more suited to being scientists, girls or boys? [Girls/Boys/Same/Don’t know. Why do you think that?]

  • Who are more suited to working in the computer industry, girls or boys? [Girls/Boys/Same/Don’t know. Why do you think that?]

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Forgasz, H.J., Leder, G.C. Persistent gender inequities in mathematics achievement and expectations in Australia, Canada and the UK. Math Ed Res J 29, 261–282 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-017-0190-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-017-0190-x

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