Mathematics performance reveals boys outperforming girls once school commences.

Mathematics performance reveals boys outperforming girls once school commences.

Article: Mathematics Performance: A Bitter Pill for Girls

Boys and girls start school with similar math skills, but it doesn't take long for boys to overtake girls in the subject. After four months, boys outperform girls significantly, with the gap quadrupling after a year, according to a team led by Pauline Martinot of Université Paris Cité.

Prior studies suggest that infants and young children have no or almost no gender-specific differences in numerical ability and Math tasks. However, from the start of school, girls were better at language development. The gender difference in language development shrank after four months but then increased again. In contrast, the performance gap between boys and girls in math after the first year of school was greater than in language development.

The gender gap in math was more pronounced in schools and families with higher socio-economic status and increased with the length of schooling. This raises concerns about the role of societal expectations and gender roles in shaping mathematical performance, especially for girls.

Teachers may unintentionally contribute to the consolidation of gender-specific patterns in math performance. A recent study in Germany shows that teachers have higher expectations for boys in math, and those with stronger traditional gender stereotypes underestimated the math performances of girls. Similar development of gender differences in math performance might be occurring in France.

However, it remains to be empirically tested to determine whether the specific results can be transferred between countries. For instance, while the performance difference between girls and boys in math in France was significantly larger than in Germany, the difference in Germany was similarly small in the internationally renowned TIMSS 2023 and PISA study 2022.

Researchers suggest that interventions should be implemented early in the curriculum to reach girls before they lose confidence in their math abilities. Interventions can help strengthen girls' trust in their mathematical abilities and challenge traditional gender roles in math education.

Insights:

1. The gender gap in math performance develops rapidly within the first year of school, primarily due to environmental and socio-economic factors, teacher expectations, and biases.
2. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds often face systemic barriers in math education, further amplifying the math achievement gaps.
3. Teacher expectations and implicit biases can lead to harsher judgment, lower expectations, and less support for girls in math, which can undermine their confidence and sense of belonging in the subject.

Paragraph Adjustments:

1. Introduction: Combine two paragraphs into one for clarity and readability.
2. Gender Differences in Language Development: Include it in the second paragraph to clarify the difference in performance between boys and girls in math versus language development.
3. Gap and Systemic Barriers: Split it into two paragraphs, with the second focusing on the impact of socio-economic status.
4. Role of Teacher Expectations and Implicit Bias: Rearrange the information to clarify the effects of teacher expectations and bias on girls' math performance.

Revised and Vary Sentences:

1. Shortened the first sentence to create a concise introduction: "Boys outperform girls in math within just a few months of school."
2. Altered the phrase "Infants have no" to "Young children almost no" to improve readability.
3. Reworded the sentence about the gender difference shrinking after four months, then increasing again by stating that it "shrank after four months but then increased."
4. Amended the phrase "a team led by... has found" to "according to a team led by Pauline Martinot of Université Paris Cité" to provide more context.
5. Changed "Mathematics is more associated with boys" to "Mathematics is still more associated with boys" to clarify the ongoing nature of the association.
6. Revised the phrase "A possible explanation" to "One plausible explanation" for stylistic purposes.
7. Altered the phrase "researchers suggest that" to "suggest interventions to counteract" to emphasize actionable recommendations.
8. According to a team led by Pauline Martinot of Université Paris Cité, boys outperform girls in math within just a few months of school, with the gap quadrupling after a year.
9. Young children almost no gender-specific differences in numerical ability and Math tasks have been found, but by the start of school, girls were better at language development, with the gender difference shrinking after four months but then increasing again.
10. The gender difference in math after the first year of school was greater than in language development, and this gap is more pronounced in schools and families with higher socio-economic status, increasing with the length of schooling.
11. Teachers may unintentionally contribute to the consolidation of gender-specific patterns in math performance, with researchers suggesting interventions to counteract the effects of teacher expectations and biases on girls' math performance, such as strengthening girls' trust in their mathematical abilities and challenging traditional gender roles in math education.

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