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Gender and Mathematics: recent development from a Swedish perspective

Brandell, Gerd LU ; Leder, Gilah and Nyström, Peter (2007) In ZDM 39(3). p.235-250
Abstract
A fairly large study of attitudes towards mathematics among Swedish students at secondary level was conducted during 2001–2004. A newly developed instrument was used that was designed to capture gender stereotyped attitudes among students related to various aspects of mathematics in education and future life. The new scale and its development are described with reference to the original Australian studies. The scale builds on the Fennema–Sherman attitude scale “Mathematics as a male domain” but allows mathematics to be viewed as female, male or gender neutral, reflecting a different societal and educational situation than in the seventies when attitudes towards mathematics as a male domain were first investigated. The Swedish study shows... (More)
A fairly large study of attitudes towards mathematics among Swedish students at secondary level was conducted during 2001–2004. A newly developed instrument was used that was designed to capture gender stereotyped attitudes among students related to various aspects of mathematics in education and future life. The new scale and its development are described with reference to the original Australian studies. The scale builds on the Fennema–Sherman attitude scale “Mathematics as a male domain” but allows mathematics to be viewed as female, male or gender neutral, reflecting a different societal and educational situation than in the seventies when attitudes towards mathematics as a male domain were first investigated. The Swedish study shows that mathematics is perceived as gendered, mostly as a male domain, by large minorities of students at secondary level. However, the results are complex, with clear differences in responses from female and male students. Furthermore, mathematics is also viewed as female in some aspects. A comparison with Australian data shows that Swedish students are less inclined to view mathematics as a female domain than Australian students of the same age. The relevance of the study is related to the lack of equity in mathematics in education and as a professional field in the Swedish society, documented by earlier research. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
mathematics, secondary school, attitudes, gender, Fennema-Sherman-scales, Who and mathematics
in
ZDM
volume
39
issue
3
pages
235 - 250
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:51049109352
ISSN
1863-9690
DOI
10.1007/s11858-007-0025-4
project
GeMa (Gender and Mathematics)
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
59dca9e5-62e5-4ad6-bc52-a7f6bbeb2c77 (old id 942702)
alternative location
http://www.springerlink.com/content/eh678130648g9131/
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:11:03
date last changed
2022-02-05 21:18:57
@article{59dca9e5-62e5-4ad6-bc52-a7f6bbeb2c77,
  abstract     = {{A fairly large study of attitudes towards mathematics among Swedish students at secondary level was conducted during 2001–2004. A newly developed instrument was used that was designed to capture gender stereotyped attitudes among students related to various aspects of mathematics in education and future life. The new scale and its development are described with reference to the original Australian studies. The scale builds on the Fennema–Sherman attitude scale “Mathematics as a male domain” but allows mathematics to be viewed as female, male or gender neutral, reflecting a different societal and educational situation than in the seventies when attitudes towards mathematics as a male domain were first investigated. The Swedish study shows that mathematics is perceived as gendered, mostly as a male domain, by large minorities of students at secondary level. However, the results are complex, with clear differences in responses from female and male students. Furthermore, mathematics is also viewed as female in some aspects. A comparison with Australian data shows that Swedish students are less inclined to view mathematics as a female domain than Australian students of the same age. The relevance of the study is related to the lack of equity in mathematics in education and as a professional field in the Swedish society, documented by earlier research.}},
  author       = {{Brandell, Gerd and Leder, Gilah and Nyström, Peter}},
  issn         = {{1863-9690}},
  keywords     = {{mathematics; secondary school; attitudes; gender; Fennema-Sherman-scales; Who and mathematics}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{235--250}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{ZDM}},
  title        = {{Gender and Mathematics: recent development from a Swedish perspective}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11858-007-0025-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s11858-007-0025-4}},
  volume       = {{39}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}