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Mathematics: a female, male or gender-neutral domain? A study of attitudes among students at secondary level

Brandell, Gerd LU and Staberg, Else-Marie (2008) In Gender and Education 20(5). p.495-509
Abstract
The aim of the current study is to investigate whether Swedish secondary school students perceive mathematics as a female, male or gender-neutral domain. A sample of 1300 students in two age groups, 15- and 17-years, answered a questionnaire and about 50 students participated in interviews. The main part of the inquiry form consists of Who and mathematics, an attitude scale recently developed by other researchers. The results are analysed with respect to gender, school year and study programme. Gendered attitudes were found among considerable minorities. There is a marked tendency to view mathematics as a symbolically male domain: positive aspects are associated with boys and negative aspects perceived as more female. Older students hold... (More)
The aim of the current study is to investigate whether Swedish secondary school students perceive mathematics as a female, male or gender-neutral domain. A sample of 1300 students in two age groups, 15- and 17-years, answered a questionnaire and about 50 students participated in interviews. The main part of the inquiry form consists of Who and mathematics, an attitude scale recently developed by other researchers. The results are analysed with respect to gender, school year and study programme. Gendered attitudes were found among considerable minorities. There is a marked tendency to view mathematics as a symbolically male domain: positive aspects are associated with boys and negative aspects perceived as more female. Older students hold more strongly gendered views than younger. Boys in the science programme have the strongest beliefs of mathematics as a male domain. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
secondary, mathematics, gender, attitudes, Fennema-Sherman MD scale, school, Who and mathematics
in
Gender and Education
volume
20
issue
5
pages
495 - 509
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • wos:000258927500006
  • scopus:51049088796
ISSN
1360-0516
DOI
10.1080/09540250701805771
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
cb9e959f-4e0c-4d61-8bdb-868966604c77 (old id 1246974)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:01:04
date last changed
2022-02-19 08:41:42
@article{cb9e959f-4e0c-4d61-8bdb-868966604c77,
  abstract     = {{The aim of the current study is to investigate whether Swedish secondary school students perceive mathematics as a female, male or gender-neutral domain. A sample of 1300 students in two age groups, 15- and 17-years, answered a questionnaire and about 50 students participated in interviews. The main part of the inquiry form consists of Who and mathematics, an attitude scale recently developed by other researchers. The results are analysed with respect to gender, school year and study programme. Gendered attitudes were found among considerable minorities. There is a marked tendency to view mathematics as a symbolically male domain: positive aspects are associated with boys and negative aspects perceived as more female. Older students hold more strongly gendered views than younger. Boys in the science programme have the strongest beliefs of mathematics as a male domain.}},
  author       = {{Brandell, Gerd and Staberg, Else-Marie}},
  issn         = {{1360-0516}},
  keywords     = {{secondary; mathematics; gender; attitudes; Fennema-Sherman MD scale; school; Who and mathematics}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{495--509}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Gender and Education}},
  title        = {{Mathematics: a female, male or gender-neutral domain? A study of attitudes among students at secondary level}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540250701805771}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/09540250701805771}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}