Get the Real Story of Girls and Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM
Remember in 1992 when a talking Teen Barbie had the prerecorded saying, “Math class is tough”? Mattel got so much negative publicity they pulled these dolls from the shelves. Teen Barbie was just one symptom of a much larger problem. There was (and continues to be) a prevalent stereotype that girls are not as capable at math as boys. Society has been perpetuating the myth by giving girls subtle, and not so subtle, messages about gender identity and math skills.
If you are thinking that the current generation does not suffer from such outdated stereotypes, think again. In 2011 a group of researchers looked at how boys and girls link gender with math. They found boys and girls as young as second grade do associate math with boys more than they do with girls.
Since math is a cornerstone to many fields, not advancing in math often means not learning robotics, computer programming, coding, and many other interesting subjects. This doesn’t just hurt the girls whose natural curiosity and passions are squashed. It also hurts the advancement of STEM fields because many girls with great minds, who could make significant contributions, do not enter those fields. In 2014, only 13% of the mechanical engineers were women.
Are Boys Better in Math than Girls?
Up until 4th grade there is no gender disparity on any math tests. After 4th grade, some math statistics show some gender disparity. The reason for the gender disparity, however, can be linked with poor instruction and the perpetuation of the myth. Girls in Japan outperform boys in the US on math tests. (African-American and Hispanic students in the U.S. also suffer the same fate, suffering what is commonly referred to as the racial gap).
So What is the Problem?
Research indicating whether or not boys actually out-perform girls in math after the 4th grade is not clear. It is clear that any gender discrepancy is not because boys are inherently better at math than girls. (Likewise, any racial discrepancy is not because any ethnic or racial group is inherently better at math than any other). Advancing in math is a skill that requires quality instruction and internal drive. Neither the sex chromosome nor the color of someone’s skin has any bearing on their understanding of mathematical concepts. So why are the STEM fields dominated by (white and Asian) males?
1) Identity Problems
Girls (and minorities) get messages early on about their identity being linked to difficulty with math. Often the negative stereotype comes from well-meaning parents and teachers. Girls who have female teachers, or moms, who show signs of math anxiety internalize math anxiety as a part of their gender identity. They then do not grow in math skills as much as girls with female role models who are confident in math.
Since many elementary school teachers are female and many did not excel in math, this anxiety gets passed down to the next generation of girls. In fact, girls who have to check a box about their gender on a standardized math test do not do as well as girls who don’t have to reveal their gender.
2) Stopping too Soon
In high school, girls (and minorities) stop taking advanced math topics earlier than boys (and white children). This is changing but it is still a problem. Anyone who does not have access to the instruction won’t have the skills to enter many of the STEM careers. That is one reason Mathnasium of Parker recommends that everyone take calculus, or another advanced math topic in high school.
3) Instructional Style
Girls AND boys (and minorities) do better in math when the instruction is aimed at deep mathematical reasoning with complex problems, rather than instruction based on speed and answering simple questions. Gender and racial disparities seem to disappear when math instruction is geared for group work and complex problem solving. Luckily, common core math is addressing some of these problems. Read I Don't Understand the New Common Core Math My Kid is Learning for more information on this.
4) Mindset
Some people think certain individuals are just cut out for math and certain individuals will never amount to much in math. As discussed in Mindset: Encouraging Mathematical Reasoning and Creativity that idea is hogwash. Children who are encouraged to learn from their mistakes and be persistent will succeed far beyond what many people think is possible. Since many math teachers hold on to the idea that girls lack the capability for advanced math, they simply fail to push girls to try as hard or learn as much in math.
Mathnasium of Parker Encourages Girls and Young Women to Flex their Math Muscles
There is reason for hope. Math instructors are learning more about the impact of mindset. The Common Core Math Standards emphasize deeper thought and analysis. The media, the government, and others are becoming more aware of the message it sends to girls and working to change it. Here are a few examples of organizations working to help women and minorities get into STEM fields. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP3cyRRAfX0 and https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/women Even Mattel introduced a computer engineer Barbie.
Mathnasium of Parker applauds these efforts and joins in the crusade. We encourage every girl to go a little farther each day in math. We encourage creative thinking. We never let children (boys or girls) think that “they are just not that good in math.” We have female instructors who ROCK at math to serve not only as mentors but also as role models for young girls - examples to which they can aspire! And we are dispelling the myths that you cannot be pretty or popular or athletic (or whatever myth you can come up with) AND also be a mathematician! Check out our team bios for some inspiration!
Think about the messages you give your daughter. Are you doing everything in your power to give her every opportunity? If you would like to learn more about the methods at Mathnasium please click here or call us at (303) 840-1184.
This article was written by and owned by Cuttlefish Copywriting. It is copyright protected. Mathnasium of Parker has permission to use it. Other Mathnasium locations should contact Heather at [email protected] before using it.
