A recent article in the Monitor on Psychology entitled Math Plus
Culture Equal Gender Gap? reviewed the research on gender and
math achievement. Gender differences in mathematics has been one
of the most debated and lively topics in education psychology.
Given the popularity of this topic, a large body of research has
been conducted that examines if and what type of gender
differences exists in mathematics. Most of the leading
researchers agree that if gender differences actually exist,
they are small and likely to affect areas of math skills at the
highest level of the spectrum. Furthermore, research indicates
that there is no reason why women cannot succeed in
mathematically demanding fields. Despite these conclusions,
women still are underrepresented in math, science and
engineering related fields. This discrepancy, in part, could be
due to classroom influences starting in elementary school. A
study conducted by Martha Carr at the University of Georgia
found that in elementary school , boys often utilize m