Have you ever been curious why math is harder for girls?
Is your daughther struggling at math? Is her teacher female? If you replied “yes” to both questions, you may have your answer as to why your daughter may be having a hard time understanding math.
According to the Associated Press, researchers from the University of Chicago found that female teachers pass on their math anxieties to the students.
Female elementary school teachers who are concerned about their own math skills could be passing that along to the little girls they teach. young students tend to model themselves after adults of the same sex, and having a female teacher who is anxious about math may reinforce the stereotype that boys are better at math than girls.
This isn’t set in stone. I know many female teachers who are very well-versed in math, so not ALL female teachers are anxious about their math skills.
As parents, you can be involved with your daughter’s school life by talking to her female teacher about being careful to not relay their anxiety on the students.
Teachers are figures that the younger students look up to, so by showing that they have confidence (even if they’re not), students will also have confidence.
How true is this study in your case? Does your daughter struggle in math, and is her elementary school teacher female?
Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Division Problem? [BabyCenter]
