The participation in certain classroom processes by students of high and low mathematics confidence who scored above the mean in mathematics achievement was studied over 2 years. The processes selected were: (1) specified types of teacher-pupil interactions, and (2) student engaged time in high or low cognitive level mathematical activities,…

Reported is a study to determine the relative effectiveness of a meaningful concrete and a meaningful symbolic model in learning a selected mathematics principle. Subjects were from a second grade population and they were assigned to three treatments. Students assigned to Treatment 1 received instruction in the principle with a meaningful symbolic…

Reviewed are studies on differences in mathematical achievement between boys and girls. Studies are sorted into pre-school, early elementary, upper elementary, and high school categories to synthesize the results. A summary is presented in the form of questions which arise from analysis of these studies' results. (JP)

Data from the second mathematics assessment of the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows little difference between males and females in overall mathematics achievement at ages 9 and 13. However, at age 17, females are not achieving as well in mathematics as males. (MP)

This report defines spatial ability operationally (consisting of three components) and reviews possible sex differences in this ability as reported in the literature. The relationship between mathematical ability and spatial ability is discussed. Researchable hypotheses about how differential spatial ability may effect mathematics achievement are…

Many more males than females are involved in post high school mathematics study and in adult occupations that involve mathematics. This paper addresses the issue of whether this unequal representation of females and males is due to females' less adequate learning of mathematics or to deliberate choice of females not to study mathematics. After…

The purpose of this paper was to explore the literature to see what differences, if any, exist between the sexes in mathematics achievement from pre-school through high school levels. Thirty-three studies were reported. Findings showed that there were no significant differences between boys' and girls' mathematics achievement in pre-school or…

Research concerned with differences in mathematical achievement of males and females is discussed in this document. Variables hypothesized to be related to achievement of women in general and to mathematics learning and studying in particular are considered: verbal ability; spatial visualization ability; confidence in learning mathematics;…

Studies of differences between male and female performance in mathematics are reviewed. The authors concludes that the stereotyping of mathematics as a male domain has a subtle but powerful effect on women, especially as it effects decisions to continue or terminate the study of mathematics. (SD)