Awareness of a gender stereotype,personal beliefs and self-perceptions regarding math ability: when boys do not surpass girls |
| |
Authors: | Delphine Martinot Michel Désert |
| |
Institution: | (1) LAPSCO, UMR 6024 CNRS, Université Blaise Pascal, 34 Avenue Carnot, Clermont-Ferrand Cedex, 63037, France;(2) Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand Cedex, France |
| |
Abstract: | The negative reputation of women in mathematics and its consequences on their self-perceptions have been extensively demonstrated.
However, in France and other countries, the younger the students, the less pronounced these gender differences are. The focus
of this study was to explore whether children of two age groups (fourth graders and seventh graders) are aware of a math-ability
gender stereotype favorable to boys, and to determine their personal beliefs on mathematics ability. The link between this
gender stereotype and self-perceptions was also examined. As expected, there was not a clear-cut awareness of a math-ability
gender stereotype favorable to boys. More surprising, girls in both age groups and seventh-grade boys believed that girls
do better than boys. Moreover, when their gender identity was made salient, the boys who believed in girl superiority perceived
their own performance in mathematics as lower. The girls, on the other hand, regardless of their age and stereotype awareness
or personal beliefs, perceived their performance in math as higher when their gender identity was made salient than when it
was not. |
| |
Keywords: | Gender stereotypes Mathematics ability Personal beliefs Self-perceptions |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|