Source: New York Times
Math anxiety has plagued students for generations, but new analysis has overturned previously preconceived ideas about how boys and girls perform within math classes.
Girls and women continue to face higher levels of math anxiety compared to boys and men, but socioeconomic factors often determine students’ successes in school, particularly with regards to their math abilities.
Compared to female students who are enrolled in co-ed programs, girls who attend female-only schools typically perform better in math courses, but scientists have found that their improved scores are not due to their environment.
Instead, female students in single-sex programs are oftentimes taught by better teachers and already have strong math skills once they enter school.
Regardless of math skills exhibited by boys or girls, Dr. Jo Boaler, a professor of mathematics at Stanford, states, “The lovely thing is when you change math education and make it more about deep conceptual understanding, the gender differences disappear.”
Read Full Story: New York Times