Education itself at the root of the math gender gap

Historically, women were shut out of fields like science, technology, engineering, and math, and despite equal education opportunities in the U.S. today, they are still under-represented in STEM occupations. Consistent efforts to get girls engaged in science and math early are beginning to move the needle, but the math gender gap stubbornly remains. So how can we best combat this disparity, and when? And just how quickly can girls fall behind in math? These were the questions scientists at the Collège de France in Paris set out to help answer in their latest study.

Incredibly, the group was able to evaluate over two million French first and second graders, tracking their math skills over four years. Before entrance into school, the children were assessed in their math skills including digit identification, counting, problem-solving, calculation, and geometry, among others. Abilities were well matched regardless of gender, with only a few outliers found at both extremes in boys. Through continued examinations, it was discovered that just four months into school, a statistically significant gender gap appeared that only widened over time. This research reinforces the findings of smaller studies, marking gap formation between first and second grade. Interestingly, because of the mass of data, the study had the unique ability to discern that the age of the child when entering school did not contribute to the gap – only after math instruction within school did the gap appear.

The findings flag the school environment as a suspected factor, and the authors provide a few hypotheses as to why it fosters a math gender gap: potential differences in testing anxiety, interactions with teachers and peers, and/or general competitiveness. However, more research is necessary to parse this out. Overall, this study supports that boys and girls possess equal intrinsic aptitudes for math, and importantly, it points to a critical point in the education of girls around which to focus new efforts.

Managing Correspondent: Morgan Glass

Press Article: When do girls fall behind in maths? Gigantic study pinpoints the moment, Nature News

Original Research Article: Rapid emergence of a maths gender gap in first grade, Nature

Image Credit: Little girls drawing, Freepik