Debunking the Myth about Girls and Math
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By SLJ Staff -- School Library Journal, 10/22/2008 2:00:00 PM
The myth that girls aren’t good at math must be put to rest—otherwise it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy, says a new report.
Many people still hold the belief that females intrinsically have less aptitude than males to excel in math at the very highest levels. Even former Harvard University President Lawrence Summers gave credence to this notion in 2005, suggesting that it might explain the shortage of women mathematicians among the tenured faculty of elite American research universities.
This commonly held belief, however, is largely based upon data from standardized tests such as the SAT, says "Cross-Cultural Analysis of Students with Exceptional Talent in Mathematical Problem Solving,” which appeared in the November 2008 issue of the Notices of the American Mathematical Society. But the SAT is designed to determine the mathematical proficiency of American 11th and 12th graders—those who have mastered grade-level material—and does not “distinguish the profoundly gifted [or] those who are four or more standard deviations above the mean, from the merely gifted who also score in the ninety-ninth percentile on this exam,” the study says.
The research analyzes data from international math competitions dating back to 1974 to prove its conclusion that there are many females with profound intrinsic ability in mathematics—and that sociocultural, educational, or other environmental factors help determine if this ability is identified and nurtured.
“Girls and boys with mathematical ability, whether profound, gifted, or merely above average, should be identified and encouraged to study mathematics beyond the high school level so they may pursue careers in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics] fields because these jobs are plentiful, well-paying, challenging, interesting, and beneficial to society,” the study says.
Some Eastern European countries, like Bulgaria and Romania, and Asian countries, for instance, frequently produce girls with profound ability in mathematical problem solving, but most other countries—including the U.S.—do not, the study goes on to say.
“Teachers, guidance counselors, parents, principals, university presidents, the lay public, and, most importantly, girls themselves need to be informed about the fact that females can excel in mathematics, even at the very highest level,” the report says. “When people believe they cannot do something, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
