Jonathan M. Kane|Janet E. Mertz
Debunking Myths about Gender and Mathematics Performance
University of Wisconsin–Whitewater|University of Wisconsin–Whitewater|University of Wisconsin–Madison
g ender differences mathematics participation rate mean highend performance variance distribution performance reported numerous occasions reasons findings subject much debate example greater male variability hypothesis originally proposed ellis 1894 42 reiterated 2005 lawrence summers president harvard university 48 states variability intellectual abilities intrinsically greater among males true could account fact fields medalists male gender differences means variances primarily consequence innate biologically determined differences sexes one would expect differences similar among countries regardless culture remain fairly constant across time finding would suggest little done diminish differences support hypothesis machin pekkarinen 26 claimed greater male variance mathematics performance robust phenomenon observed among fifteenyearolds thirtyfive forty countries participated 2003 programme international student assessment pisa addition womens nature might include tendency prefer nurturing fields nursing teaching young children quantitative ones mathematics physics engineering might make sense encourage direct unusual female toward studying seeking employment latter fields viewpoint led folks propose may waste time money expend resources directed toward trying increase participation women mathematicsintensive fields eg 5 6 46 49 50 alternatively boys girls may born similar innate intellectual potential end displaying differences due variety sociocultural factors present environment example genderstratification 2 true one might see differences among countries changes time mathematics variances mean performances genderstratified hypothesis consistent several recent findings example hyde collaborators 20 25 reported girls reached parity boys mean mathematics performance united states even high school significant gap mean performance existed 1970s likewise brody mills 3 wai et al 51 noted drop nonrandom samples students thirteen years age 131 1970s approximately 31 1990s ratio us boys girls scoring 700 quantitative section collegeentrance sat examination percentage phds mathematical sciences awarded us citizens women increased 6 percent 1960s 30 percent past decade 4 9 sociocultural legal educational changes took place time span may account dramatic improvements mathematics performance participation us females gender differences opportunities outcomes within countries quantified variety measures gender gap index ggi composite weighted measure gap jonathan kane professor mathematics computer science university wisconsinwhitewater email address kanejuwwedu