Sociocultural Attitudes Regarding Gender Differences in Mathematics Education and Implications for Related Employment

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-91
Author(s):  
Ezri Skital ◽  
Laurentiu-Gabriel Tiru
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Attitudes Toward Mathematics ◽  
Single Sex ◽  
Sociocultural Attitudes ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Learning Mathematics ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Multiple Choice Questionnaire ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
And Performance

For many years in several countries there has been gender inequality in mathematics achievement, and girls are less likely to study and specialize in precise sciences. A primary explanation for these gender differences is sociocultural. The attitudes and perceptions prevalent in a society’s culture regarding gen-der can affect students’ attitudes and performance in maths education and their choice to pursue pro-fessional careers in maths related areas. Studies have found that learning in single-sex classrooms can influence girls’ achievements and attitudes. The goal of the present study is to examine the attitudes of girls in mixed and single-sex classrooms towards mathematics and towards gender differences in mathematics. The study population included 281 students in the fifth to ninth grades, attending state-religious schools in Israel. The participants completed a multiple-choice questionnaire, which addressed their attitudes toward mathematics and possible differences between boys and girls. Most of the girls, in both types of classrooms, expressed positive attitudes towards learning mathematics and egalitarian views, although differences were found as girls learning in mixed-sex classes expressed views that were slightly more egalitarian. In addition, girls in single-sex classrooms expressed a moderately higher agreement in the “girls are better” category.

Mind the Absent Gap: Gender-Specific Competitive Behavior in Nonprofessional Sports

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-233
Author(s):  
Anna Katharina Pikos ◽  
Alexander Straub
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Professional Sports ◽  
Competitive Behavior ◽  
Sex Composition ◽  
Unique Data ◽  
Single Sex ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Mixed Gender ◽  
Gender Specific ◽  
Opposite Gender

There is wide evidence for gender differences in competitive behavior and performance under pressure from experimental economics and single-sex professional sports. We analyze these differences in a sport with direct gender competition. Our unique data consist of over 500,000 observations from around 11,000 German ninepin bowling games of which around 15% are from mixed-gender leagues. Men perform better against women on average, but this is fully explained by differences in ability. Our results are robust to instrumenting for opposite gender using the sex composition of the opponent team. Gender differences in tight situations do not seem to play a role.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Attitudes and Achievement in Mathematics among Ghanaian JHS Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Derrick Anokye-Poku ◽  
Ernest Ampadu
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
School Students ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Performance ◽  
And Mathematics

Students’ learning and performance in mathematics is affected by several factors, including students’ attitude. This paper aims to understand the gender differences in attitude toward mathematics and mathematics achievement. A descriptive survey design was used, and the participants consisted of 360 Junior High School students. Two instruments, semi-structured questionnaire and students test scores were used. The results revealed that, in general, both female and male students held positive attitudes towards mathematics, and there was no significant difference in attitudes between genders toward mathematics. However, the results established that there was a significant difference in achievement. It was recommended that to achieve sustainable development goal 4, teachers, parents, and educational authorities should develop creative and innovative ways of helping students, especially female students to build self-confidence in the learning of mathematics.

Sex Differences in the Association between Secondary School Students' Attitudes toward Mathematics and toward Computers

1987 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 394-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betty Collis
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Attitudes Toward Mathematics ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Attitudes Toward Computers ◽  
School Students ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Students Attitudes

Sex differences in the positive association between attitudes toward mathematics and attitudes toward computers were examined in 1 018 Grade 8 students and 800 Grade 12 students. The female students were more likely than the male students to associate negative attitudes toward mathematics with negative attitudes toward computers. Participation in an eighth-grade mathematics course with a computer component was associated with positive attitudes toward computers for males but not for females. The integration of computer experiences with mathematics instruction may require some caution to yield more positive attitudes toward mathematics and computers from secondary school females.

Skill-Builders: Improving Middle School Students’ Self-Beliefs for Learning Mathematics

2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 2156759X0801100
Author(s):  
Lia D. Falco ◽  
Hugh Crethar ◽  
Sheri Bauman
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
School Counselor ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Attitudes Toward Mathematics ◽  
Future Research ◽  
School Students ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Learning Mathematics ◽  
Students Attitudes

This article presents findings from a pilot study that examined the effect of a school counselor-led intervention, using the “Skill-Builders” curriculum, on middle-school students’ attitudes toward mathematics learning. Results from the current study demonstrated that students who received the Skill-Builders curriculum had significantly higher posttest scores on a measure of attitudes toward mathematics learning, including self-confidence, value, enjoyment, and motivation. Females in the Skill-Builders group improved significantly more than their male classmates. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

An Examination of First-Year University Students' Attitudes toward and Approaches to Learning Mathematics

1999 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 809-816
Author(s):  
Andile Mji ◽  
Michael J. Glencross
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Attitudes Toward Mathematics ◽  
Approaches To Learning ◽  
First Year ◽  
Mathematics Students ◽  
Analytical Geometry ◽  
University Mathematics ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
First Year University

The purpose was to analyze first-year university mathematics students' responses to a questionnaire which asked 93 students to report on their approaches to learning and attitudes toward mathematics. A majority of the students studying analytical geometry, calculus, and trigonometry had positive attitudes toward mathematics and preferred learning the subject by doing lots of examples to reproduce them, a learning strategy known as the ‘surface approach’.

scholarly journals The impact of CLIL implementation on Lebanese students’ attitudes and performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Badrie ELDaou ◽  
Abir Abdallah
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Year ◽  
Pedagogical Approach ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
And Performance ◽  
First Year University ◽  
The Impact

Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has been verified as an effective pedagogical approach by a lot of research studies carried out in many European countries. However, modest attempts have been made to prove its efficacy in Lebanon, where English Language is taught in many schools and universities as a first foreign language. The participants (n = 21) were first year university students enrolled in the Faculty of Pedagogy at the Lebanese University and majoring in teaching Math at elementary schools. Quantitative as well as qualitative data were collected by means of two questionnaires, pre-post tests and reflection logs. Descriptive statistics were calculated and a series of t-tests were conducted in order to address the questions raised in the study. The results of the study showed positive attitudes of students towards the implementation of CLIL and they revealed the efficacy of CLIL as a pedagogical approach in enhancing students’ self-efficacy and academic performance. Keywords: CLIL implementation, self-efficacy, attitude, academic achievement.

scholarly journals OBSERVING STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS TEACHERS’ CODE-SWITCHING IN EFL CLASSES. DOES GENDER HAVE ANY IMPACT?

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
ALI ASGHAR ◽  
ROSTAMI ABUSAEEDI ◽  
MALAKEH JAFARIAN
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
Educational Settings ◽  
Item Questionnaire ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Widespread Phenomenon ◽  
Students Attitudes

Code-switching is a widespread phenomenon used as a communicative resource both in natural and educational settings. This is very common in bilingual and multilingual settings but not in educational ones. There are varying attitudes towards the use of code switching. The present study was to investigate students’ attitudes towards teachers’ code-switching in EFL classes. Moreover, gender differences in students’ attitudes were observed. To this end, a four-section 20-item questionnaire developed by Yao (2011) was distributed to students. They were also supposed to answer the question regarding their gender identity at the top of the questionnaire. The data were tabulated, and frequencies and percentages were conducted by SPSS program. The findings displayed that students totally had positive attitudes towards code-switching used by teachers in EFL classes. However, there were some situations in which they were not interested in it. Furthermore, this study showed that gender does not cause any significant differences in students’ attitudes.

scholarly journals Attitudes towards English Literature: The Case of EFL Students at Three Saudi Colleges

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. p1
Author(s):  
Hassan M. Kassem
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
English Literature ◽  
Great Effort ◽  
Motivational Orientations ◽  
Item Questionnaire ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
And Performance

The primary aim of the study was to investigate the attitudes held by Saudi EFL students and the difficulties they have in studying English literature. Another aim was to explore gender differences in attitudes towards English literature. The relationships between (1) general motivational orientations to learn English and attitudes towards English literature, and (2) general motivational orientations to learn English and attitudes towards English literature, and performance in literary courses were also explored. A cohort of 180 Eighth level majors at three Saudi colleges completed a researcher-developed 28-item questionnaire probing their general motivational orientations to learn English and attitudes towards English literature in terms of emotions associating studying English literature, cultural and religious sensitivities about studying English literature and the importance of studying English literature. Participants were found to hold positive attitudes towards English literature. They reported no cultural or religious sensitivities about studying English literature in their context. The difficulties they reported facing when studying English literature included difficult vocabulary and literary terms, difficult content and long pieces of literature, lack of language proficiency, and having to exert great effort. No gender differences were found in attitudes. Intrinsic motivation was found to be a significant predictor of positive attitudes towards English literature. Finally, a significant positive relationship was found between general motivational orientations to learn English and attitudes towards English literature, and performance in literary courses. Instructional implications and suggestions for further research are provided.

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