Scientific Articles

• McGuire, L., Monzavi, T., Hoffman, A.  J., Law F., Irvin, M. J., Winterbottom, M., Hartstone-Rose, A., Rutland, A., Burns, K.P., Butler, L., Drews, M., Fields,G. E. & Mulvey, K. L.(2021). Science and Math Interest and Gender Stereotypes: The Role of Educator Gender in Informal Science Learning Sites. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.503237
• Spencer, S.J., Steele, C.M. & Quinn, D.M. (1999). Stereotype Threat and Women’s Math Performance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 35, 4–28. https://doi.org/10.1006/jesp.1998.1373
• Xie, G. & Liu, X. (2023). Gender in mathematics: how gender role perception influences mathematical capability in junior high school. Journal of Chinese Sociology, 10 (10). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40711-023-00188-3

Explanation of the Post

A stereotype is a preconceived notion about a certain racial, ethnic, or religious group that is formed in the mind. It is a product of interactions or processes including emotional, mental, socio-motivational, and cultural aspects that can be self- or other-stereotypes, either beneficial or detrimental. The stereotype of gender in mathematics education, which states that males perform better in math than females, is detrimental to female learners but beneficial to male pupils.

Further, as stated by Xie & Liu (2023), over 70% of respondents to Harvard University’s “Implicit Project” agreed with the aforementioned assertion, with women typically associated with literary issues and males with math and science. Consequently, the attendance in mathematical classes shows that girls’ interest in math declines as they reach adolescence. Due to this, when studying mathematics, female students who internalize the negative self-stereotype that girls are poor in math and lack confidence suffer from low self-efficacy, which saps their academic enthusiasm and ultimately results in poor mathematical. Therefore, it is expected that a reduction in math interest will have an effect on participation in many professions in this scenario because math abilities are crucial for advancements in the domains of engineering, computer science, and science.

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