Girls are as talented when it comes to math as boys. In a study that focused on 7 million high school students and SAT tests, girls performed as well as boys. Janet Hyde, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, says scores between boys and girls have become so close, the difference is not statistically significant. Her analysis was published July 25 in 'Science', a major international research journal.
For decades we have lowered the standards girls are expected to achieve in math and science because it was believed that girls and boys brains are different. This also led to a gender gap in careers that required math. We are not born knowing calculus and opportunities to take more rigorous courses were historically not available to girls at the same rate as boys. Data now proves that girls are as capable as boys at performing high function mathematics.
We need to now focus on getting girls into traditionally male dominated career fields such as science, technology, and engineering and bring pay scales in line equally.
I agree with Rebecca Coulter, who teaches at the faculty of education at the University of Western Ontario, in London who says the difference in performance is between children in richer and poorer communities. Instead of gender or race we need to start focusing more on socioeconomic factors to close achievement gaps.
When is the educational world going to break away from the calcified traditions that have ruled our children's education for decades?
1 comments:
April,
I believe that girls are achieving more in math and science beause they are now EXPECTED to do so. It wasn't all that long ago that most girls highest aspirations were secretary or nurse, and old-school teachers didn't think girls were capable. Now women are CEO's, surgeons, astronauts, and Presidential candidates. I believe girls are succeeding not because we teach differently or test differently, but just that we expect differently.
How to relate that to socioeconomic factors? I don't know. It would probably require a major campaign by educators with a giant buy-in by students and parents. We would need ambassadors of change that demonstrate that education is the key to a better life. We need CEOS, surgeons, astronauts and politicians (not ball players and rap stars) that came from humble beginnings to get involved, make public service announcements, and mentor.
That's just my personal opinion.
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