Stephanie Lance Education Studies University of California, San Diego

Women in
math &
science: An
Introduction
In some science and
technology elds, women
are not attaining degrees at the same rate as men. In 2004, a study
shows that women earned 45" of all doctoral degrees, but less than
1/3 of all degrees in chemistry, computer sciences, math, physics,
and engineering. This pertains directly to the work force as well:
women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, but only 26" of
the science and engineering workforce #Halpern, 2007$. Why aren't
more women pursuing careers in these elds? Some of the reasons
for this gender disparity are previous experience, ability, interests,
and beliefs.
It has been found that one of the main di%erences in men and
women's performance is that girls and women show less condence
in their math and science abilities than men, which reects on
their career choices #Halpern, 2007$. As girls move out of elementary
school and into middle and high school, they underestimate their
abilities, and their perceptions about their abilities, in math and
science. However, it is important to note that some girls who show
condence in their abilities early on, have a tendency to choose
and perform well in math and science courses. This suggests that
improving girls' beliefs about their abilities could alter their
choices and performance. It also implies that one's interests and
perceived abilities in school highly correlate with future interests
and career choices. This research brief looks at specic examples
of women in science and education elds, evidence of social
inequity with girls and math, and a case study of 4th graders to
inform current educators and parents of the social implications of
condence in girls throughout elementary school.
Confidence:
Research su!ests that
childrens beliefs about their
abilities are central to
determining their interest and
performance in di"erent
subjects, the classes they choose
to take, the a#er$school
activities they pursue, and,
ultimately, the career choices
they make %Halpern, 2007&
The importance for
teachers and parents:
Teachers and parents must be
aware of the factors that inuence
a students' motivation, perceived
ability, and interests. Faced with
the responsibility to encourage
their students in all subjects,
teachers should understand the
social implications of teaching
girls in science and math.
PROMOTING GENDER EQUITY IN
MATH AND SCIENCE (2014)
How do girls' attitudes about math and science affect their desire to pursue careers in math and science?
Page 1
Table of Contents:
Page 1 Introduction
Page 2 Research overview
Page 3 Interviews with stakeholders
Page 4 Recommendations and
references
Stephanie Lance Education Studies University of California, San Diego

Research Overview
Women have made great progress in education and the workplace
over the past 50 years #Hill, 2010$. Still however, in science,
technology, engineering, and math #STEM$, women are under
represented #Hill, 2010$. Addressed here is evidence on social and
environmental factors that contribute to this inequality. These
factors range from early experiences that shape girls' achievement
and interest in math and science to the ever&present biases that
can obstruct a women's success
in STEM elds.
Research shows that girls assess
their mathematical abilities as
lower than boys #Hill, 2010$.
This correlates with a survey
from a 4th grade classroom in
Oceanside, CA #see LEFT$,
where approximately half of the
girls said they were only OK at
math. This can also be
attributed to the fact that girls
hold higher standards for
themselves to succeed in male&
dominated elds. However,
there is no proven ability gap for girls in math and science. Many
skills can be cultivated and encouraged throughout school and in
career elds. And, if girls have the attitude that intelligence can
be fostered, and their abilities in math, where many negative
stereotypes about girls abilities still exist, can be cultivated, they
are more likely to have the condence to pursue STEM interests
and careers in the future.
Biases begin early on in elementary school, creating social
pressures for girls to perform. Some of these biases can even
come from the attitudes of teachers. Especially at a young age,
children educated in western society, develop conceptions of the
kind of people who do mathematics & typically males from the
dominant culture group #Hand, 2012$. So, what does this mean
for educators in the eld? It means that teacher disposition is
highly important, and can tell a student a lot about where they t
into society. It is important for teachers to implement equitable
practices into their teaching, such as encouraging math reasoning,
student talk, and critiquing practices that exclude groups of
students. These practices work to eradicate biases in the
classroom, and work to encourage girls to pursue their interests
in mathematics and science. Teachers can also take cues from
women in STEM careers. The following interviews will highlight
the experiences of women in math and science careers, and help
to inform teachers of the impact they can make.
girls
I'm OK
46%
No
8%
Yes
46%
Page 2
Survey of a 4th graders:
When asked about their attitudes
towards math and science, girls in a
4th grade class state that being good
at math means getting high grades on
their report cards. Few have intrinsic
afnities for math. 6 out of 13 girls
chose math or science as their favorite
subjects. Also asked if they thought
they were good at math and science,
9 girls out of 13 said they were good
at science, mostly because they like
experimenting and asking questions.
And when it came to math, some girls
state that they were OK, showing a
tendency to write down comments
pertaining to uncertainty about their
performance. Students who said they
were good at math, showing more
condence in the subject, wrote of a
stronger desire to pursue a career in
math and science.
boys
I'm OK
17%
Yes
83%
Survey Results:
Are you good at math?
Boys show more condence in their
abilities by answering "yes."
Create a classroom
environment that
sparks initial
curiosity and fosters
long$term interest in
math and science.
Halpern, 2012
Stephanie Lance Education Studies University of California, San Diego
Interviews with
stakeholders:
Looking at a successful woman in a
STEM career, a parent of a math
major, and a teacher researcher.
Dr. Gwen Littlewort has her Ph.D
in theoretical physics, and works in
the Machine Perception Lab at
UCSD. A conversation with her
speaks to the struggle women face in a male!
dominated eld. Growing up, she never had doubts about her abilities
in science, but there were many challenges throughout her career. "I
did doubt my ability to get jobs, and have good ideas," Gwen states.
She felt she was not given access to the same resources as the men in
her eld: "People did not believe I could do it." Until she had a female
director, she felt immense pressure to prove herself. However, when
working for another woman, she felt more successful.
When speaking about her daughter's experiences as a Math major at
UCSB, a mother says that being in a science career herself helped Stella
feel more comfortable and condent in her abilities in Math. Also,
having a science teacher early on that really inspired Stella and her
siblings, and helped her understand that they could be creators and
thinkers, and that "it's okay to be curious and nerdy about stu#."
However, Stella did feel the sting of inequity when she wanted to join
the math club in high school, and declined because she was the only
girl. Encouraged by a female advisor that reached out to her, Sara
decided to pursue math at the university level. This advisor had,
perhaps, sensed a lack of condence, and made her feel more
comfortable in her choice and abilities.
A teacher researcher talks about how high expectations in her home
growing up helped her gravitate toward math and science. A few
experiences in her education made her loose condence in math, and
she reects on how her attitudes "peak and lull" depending on her
teacher, which really shows "how important a teacher is in helping
students build their condence in math and science no matter their
skill level." As a teacher, she has seen successful condence gains in her
students when participating in inquiry!based science instruction.
Students can build on each other's ideas, and, in this environment, each
idea, disagreement, and misunderstanding holds value in the classroom.
It is a powerful tool to teach students, particularly girls at a young age.

"I believe that you
should do what you
want to do. But in a
world of inequity, a
cha"enge can be viewed
as two things: 1# as an
example of why you
shouldn't be there or 2#
just a step towards your
goal." $ Ph.D
"Science was a way for
me to make sense of the
world." $ Teacher
"I wish I had known
that math is something
that should be worked
hard at and that the
stru%ling feeling is a
good thing to embrace."
$ Researcher
Page 3
Implications for teachers and parents
Based on research, data collection, and interviews with stakeholders in education and parenting, here are
recommendations that focus on strategies teachers and parents can use to strengthen girls' believes regarding
their abilities in math and science:
1. Expose girls to female role models in STEM careers:
Women who were successful in math and science careers
can speak about their journey, the challenges they overcame,
emphasizing them as periods of growth, rather than signals
of low ability or evidence of failure. Academic abilities are
not static, but can be fostered.
A career day can expose girls to women in STEM and STEM
opportunities with workshops, and on-the-job activities, while
establishing mentor relationships and fostering an interest in
STEM elds.
2. Teachers can help foster interest in math and science by choosing and modeling activities that connect to
math and science careers, and that spark natural curiosity. They should be wary of not reinforcing the existing
gender stereotypes and providing ongoing access to resources for students who are interested in a specic
topic, even after the class has moved on. They can teach explicitly about stereotype threat, and the negative
implications for the marginalized group. Being aware of the biases, even unconscious ones, can help help
teachers promote the value of all students.
3. Female teachers should embody a positive outlook on math and science, and not approach the subject with
anxiety. It has been proven that teacher bias and demeanor have an effect on the attitudes of the girls in their
class (Beilock, 2009). Students model behaviors and attitudes that they believe to be gender-appropriate.
4. Parents should provide an environment where girls interests in math and science are cultivated and valued,
making girls more likely to develop the skills to be successful and the condence to pursue STEM careers.
5. Being specically attuned to students' mathematical reasoning in classroom talk and work, helps to develop
equitable practices in your instruction. Broad student participation promotes competence, ownership, and
belonging in the classroom (Hand, 2012). For example, in inquiry-based teaching, condence builds for all
students when they have opportunities to share ideas in a supporting environment, and those ideas are given
value. This condence is powerful tool to teach students , particularly girls.
By emphasizing that girls and boys achieve equally well in math and science, parents and teachers can
encourage girls to assess their skills more accurately and condently. Teachers can use strategies to help girls
succeed, especially at critical points in their education, during upper elementary and middle school. The goal is
to help reduce the number of messages girls receive from parents, peer groups, and their teachers that alter
their beliefs about their abilities in a negative way (Reis, 2005). Teachers can create environments that nurture
and encourage, offer support and opportunities to inquire about math and science interests, and build off of
successful female role models that embodying a strong sense of self and determination.
Beilock, S., Gunderson, E., Ramirez, G., & Levine, S. !2009". Female teachers' math anxiety a#ects girls' math achievement. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of
America, 107, 1860$1863. http://www.pnas.org/content/107/5/1860.full
Halpern, D. F., Aronson, J., Reimer, N., Simpkins, S., Star, J.R, & Wentzel, K. !2007". Encouraging girls in math and science. NCER: National Center for Education Research, Institute of Education
Science, U.S. Department of Education. http://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/4889482/girls&20in&20math&20ncer&202007&202003.pdf?sequence=1
Hand, V. !2012". Seeing culture and power in mathematical learning: toward a model of equitable instruction. Education Studies Math, 233$247.
Hill, C. !2010". Why so few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.Education. 1$16. http://www.aauw.org/les/2013/02/Why$So$Few$Women$in$Science$Technology$Engineering$
and$Mathematics.pdf
Reis, S., & Graham, C. !2005". Needed: teachers to encourage girls in math, science, and technology. Gifted Child Today, 28, 14$21. http://les.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ694016.pdf
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Stephanie Lance Education Studies University of California, San Diego