Brace yourselves, it’s about to be all about math!! Not really, but I wrote a short and silly poem about the subject just to start us on a high note.

“Math is as math does,

And so forth,

Can’t let mathematics

Decide your worth!”

 

-TheSTEMGirl

Mathematics is the foundation of many concepts that flow through technology and it drives a large portion of our socio-economic society. Much of the hurdle regarding encouraging girls in STEM is the study of maths. It is important to note that there is minimal support for the view that men are better at math with the multitude of research interpreting the gender differences in math ability as non-existent.

In elementary school scores are equivalent but in both Grade 4 & 8 girls score lower in math tests. Although the differences are minute, they increase as the girls go to college and university. Even if we were to put the lack of women in STEM on math ability, men with lower math scores are still more likely to enrol into a STEM program. For example, more than 30% of men with marks under 80% enrolled in STEM programs as opposed to 10% of women. These programs can make direct contributions on a countries competitiveness. For example, through research and development STEM graduates are often key partners in the innovation systems.

So, this is not about separating math ability by gender, but about seeing how we can get more girls to be a part of the growing and creative technological transformation. It’s about finding all the detailed ways we can help our girls be more confident in their ability to learn and enhance their skills for the future.

The underlying results in most research is that confidence is key. Girls are facing a subtle but very real societal expectation to fail. Historically, women had to fight for their education and we still feel the effects of old schools of thought today as young girls continue to navigate their identities in educational settings. Although 59% of all university graduates are women, the vast majority are enrolled in the health and social sciences fields and often drop out of 1st year STEM due either fear or lack of confidence in skill.

Young girls consistently attribute failure to an inherent lack of ability which is just not accurate. Unfortunately math is a tricky and unique subject that builds upon itself and one can see where the issue would occur if every time you failed you thought it was because you sucked. This would be of no consequence if not for the fact that their is a steady rise in both analytical and technological jobs.

To get your little girl comfortable in these subjects, it is important to look at the environment where she learns. Many researchers suggest interventions such as math camp to understand the perspective of the girls themselves. The effect of math camp was studied among 16 middle school girls and the greatest impact was from the change of environment. Learning is a process of transformation not only with content but also with how your girl learns to interact with her community. The math camp gave girls of varying learning abilities and socio-economic status the opportunity to interact and discuss their mutual struggles.

 "I felt like I was the only person

who didn't understand math in a way,

and then I met all these other girls

who were having trouble..."

During the program the girls studied problem solving, spatial tasks, geometry, data analysis and algebra.The activities included hands on games and real world investigation like getting the girls to draw triangles and debate about the sums of the angles. The girls were also given the opportunity to interact with female role models in STEM and learn about famous women in history that excelled in mathematics or computer science.

The research was based on questionnaires the girls took that were designed to evaluate the their confidence in mathematics before and after the camp. Another important factor was how the girls addressed difficult problems when they came across them. The results were categorized based on similar responses by each girl. The common attributes that all girls discussed regardless of race or economic background were the way the information was taught, the curriculum and their peers. The concept of shared struggles was a big part of the discussion as this gave many of them the confidence to keep trying.The quote below gives a good depiction of what is happening mentally when young girls face these unique problems.

“I think that Math Camp built up my confidence because at some point in time I felt like I was the only person who didn't understand math in a way, and then I met all these other girls who were having trouble or not having trouble in the same areas that I was and it was just really nice to know that there were other people other people out there who were just like me. “

The doubt many girls experience is mathematics is brought on by nature of the environment and how comfortable they feel expressing their challenges. Teachers are often overworked and it is important they give all kids equal levels of attention and not distance anyone from the learning process. Teachers may not have the time to give your little girl the affirmations she needs so try to do it at home! A sense of sharing difficulties and struggles is what seemed to be the most effective so saying certain things could help. If you notice her struggling, especially in technical things try deliberately saying words like:

“It happens to the best of us.”
“Try, try, try again.”
“You can’t fail, just keep going.”
“That’s a tricky one, but you can figure it out.”
“You got this!”

Resilience seems to be the answer in life and mathematics is no exception. Towards the end of the survey one of the girls captured the nature of it all in a few choice words.

“Math Camp affected me….because it has made it so that I feel that I'm not so frustrated any more about the problems I don't understand at first because I know that if I just keep looking over it, I’ll eventually understand it."

Even if she isn't working on a math problem, at least you know you are consciously tackling a challenge she herself may not recognize which is the notion of failing.It is important to note in all this, to not force your little girl into being what she doesn't want to be. A few kids know early that they want to be doctors or artists, however many change as time and experiences vary. The value of encouraging confidence in math is that it opens your little girls mind to possibilities she may never consider due to a lack of confidence.

I hope you enjoyed this Math Monday, look out for the next one! :)

Math,Confidence, and Your Little Girls Future