MATH AND ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS OF GIRLS Introducti

The purpose of this review of literature is to examine factors that contribute to the under-achievement of girls in mathematics and projects and programs which have been used to remediate the situation. The review begins with a brief description of the problem, and ends with the formulation of conclusions regarding factors producing the problem and interventions that will reduce and or eradicate the problem.

In general, at both elementary and high school levels, boys tend to have higher achievement levels in mathematics than do girls; moreover, girls tend to have significantly more negative attitudes toward mathematics than boys (Froebe, 1996). In addition, indications are that girls' under-achievement in math restricts their adult choices of career and their ability to advance in certain jobs (Holmes, 1991).

Kaplan and Aronson (1994) report that one result of the gender gap in math and science classrooms is general academic under-achievement in that the debilitated rates of progress in math to lower girls' sense of self-esteem. This lowering of self-esteem, in turn, applies to their success in other academic areas and can operate to make them under-achievers generally and not only in mathematics and/or science.

However, any discussion of achievement in mathematics should note that definitions of under-achievement are not uniform across research. In other words, different studies de

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latively strong influence on levels of girls' math achievement. This suggestion was formulated based on the findings of a study conducted by Huntsinger and Jose to determine whether a sample of 24 Chinese American girls differed significantly from the sample of 26 Caucasian American girls on spatial rotation, mathematics achievement, and solution time on computer problems. Interaction behaviors exhibited by mother-father-daughter triads while solving a problem, and the relationships between the interaction behaviors and the girls' performance were also explored. Chinese American and Caucasian American triads were audiotaped as the fifth- and sixth-grade girls solved a computer-presented spatial rotation puzzle. Findings of the study indicated that Chinese American students tended to perform better than Caucasian American students. Performance differences were said to be associated with the fact that Chinese triads were quieter, more respectful, more serious, and more orderly in their approach to problem-solving. On the other hand, Caucasian triads were more sociable, likely to use humor, talkative, and interactionally complex in their approach, facts that were said to debilitate performance. Chinese mothers and Caucasia
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Conclusions Based, According Evans, Jones Jacka, Maine Durost, Alexander Olson, According Pollina, Form MARS-E, Caucasian American, Pajares Kranzler, Baenninger Newcombe, math anxiety, math achievement, boys girls, girls boys, math science, gender gap, elementary school, low achievers, cooperative learning, findings study, gender gap math, girls' math achievement, reported math anxiety, jones jacka 1995, midgley urdan 1995,
Approximate Word count = 3953
Approximate Pages = 16 (250 words per page)

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