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New Study Changes Equation for Girls Who Want Careers in Math
July 25, 2008 03:57 PM
by
Rachel Balik
New research results indicate that girls perform as well as boys on elementary and high school math tests, equipping them for careers in science and technology.
30-Second Summary
After closely examining statistics from federally required standardized tests, researcher Janet Hyde was able to declare, “Girls have now achieved gender parity in performance on standardized math tests.” The results included tests from both elementary school and high school. Hyde says her finding should encourage more girls to pursue careers in math and science. Girls are taught to believe they will not hold up in upper level math classes, and because of that, they avoid “lucrative careers in science and technology,” Hyde says.
Previously, experts have debated whether women simply are not cut out for science careers. Lawrence Summers, President of Harvard University, caused an uproar in 2005 when he suggested that success in science careers was determined by “innate ability.” Studies conducted in response to Summers’ remarks indicated that girls shied away from math and science due to social and environmental factors.
A 2007 study by the National Science Foundation found that teachers still favor boys in math and science classrooms and that parents hesitate to encourage their daughters to pursue math and science. Findings like Hyde’s suggest that girls are equally capable as boys in these areas, and will continue to excel with improved social and environmental resources.
Previously, experts have debated whether women simply are not cut out for science careers. Lawrence Summers, President of Harvard University, caused an uproar in 2005 when he suggested that success in science careers was determined by “innate ability.” Studies conducted in response to Summers’ remarks indicated that girls shied away from math and science due to social and environmental factors.
A 2007 study by the National Science Foundation found that teachers still favor boys in math and science classrooms and that parents hesitate to encourage their daughters to pursue math and science. Findings like Hyde’s suggest that girls are equally capable as boys in these areas, and will continue to excel with improved social and environmental resources.
Headline Link: Girls equal boys in math
Annual math tests required by the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002 provided University of Wisconsin researcher Janet Hyde with the statistics to conclude that girls have caught up to their male classmates as far as math skills are concerned. Older studies showed that while girls performed as well as boys in elementary school, their scores dropped in high school. As a result, women have been taught to anticipate that they will struggle in upper-level math classes. “It keeps girls and women out of a lot of careers, particularly high-prestige, lucrative careers in science and technology," Hyde said. The new information has caused researchers to reevaluate the assertion that boys score higher than girls on the math section of the SAT. Hyde and her team believe that is because more girls are taking the test overall, causing their average to be lower.
Source: CBS News
Background: The differences between boys and girls in math and science
In 2005, Harvard President Lawrence Summers attributed the dearth of women in science careers to a biological difference in aptitude between the sexes, inciting fury and indignation across the academic community. Summers stated that women were less likely to excel on math or science tests, and that this was due to a lack of “innate ability.” Nancy Hopkins, a biologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, walked out at that point in his speech. “It is so upsetting that all these brilliant young women [at Harvard] are being led by a man who views them this way,” she told The Boston Globe.
Source: The Boston Globe (free registration may be required)
In response to Summers’ remarks, The Washington Post investigated why fewer girls chose math. At D.C. area magnet school Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, girls tended to steer away from physics and engineering classes and opt for biology instead. Teachers speculate that choices might have more to do with social tendencies and personal inclinations rather than actual aptitude for the subject. Girls may be intimidated by boys, or opt for careers that lend themselves to social interaction. “Society places value in having a good pool of physicists and mathematicians,” one physics teacher said. “But just because the country has a desire to have this pool, that doesn’t mean it is a natural choice for an individual.”
Source: The Washington Post (free registration may be required)
In 2007, the National Science Foundation’s Research on Gender in Science and Engineering program exploded five myths about girls in math and science. Researchers found that younger girls often as interested in math and science and boys, but become discouraged as they grow older. Teachers often favor boys, and parents tend to make little effort to encourage their daughters. The study also found that more girls got “weeded out” of challenging college classes because they perceived Bs as failures, whereas boys with Cs were willing to continue.
Source: LiveScience
Related Topics: Women in the sciences, gender learning gap
A rise in female physician numbers
In the past 20 years, the number of female physicians has increased fourfold, reports the American Academy of Ophthalmology. In 1970, only 7.6 percent of physicians were women; 2003 marked the first year when roughly one-half of medical applicants and matriculating students were women. In many academic institutions, however, women continue to be underrepresented in upper-level positions. This disparity may be because at this point, women physicians tend to be too young for senior positions. Ophthalmologist Ann T. Renucci notes that “younger cohorts of full-time faculty have a more balanced representation of women and men.”
Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology
The ‘boy crisis’
FindingDulcinea’s feature “Girls vs. Boys: Is the ‘Boy Crisis’ Real?” explored the possible gender learning gap. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Education, girls were reportedly slightly behind boys in math in 2007 in grades 4 and 8, but significantly ahead in reading.
Source: findingDulcinea
Reference: Math resources
Elementary school is the time when some girls may lose interest in math. The findingDulcinea has resources for teachers, parents and students to aid learning during these years.
Source: findingDulcinea
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
