Gender Issues in Science/Math Education (was Girls and Boys math scores)

Some blog followers might be interested in a post of the above title [Hake (2010b)]. The abstract reads:

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ABSTRACT: In a previous post “Re: “Girls and Boys math scores” [Hake (2010a)], I pointed to Jim Clark's (2010) TIPS (Teaching in the Psychological Sciences) discussion-list reference to “Cross-National Patterns of Gender Differences in Mathematics: A Meta-Analysis” [Else-Quest, Hyde, & Linn (2010)], that showed no overall difference in averages between males and females on measures of math achievement. However, I neglected to mention Clark's reference to “The science of sex differences in science and mathematics” [Halpern, Benbow, Geary, Gur, Hyde, & Gernsbacher (2007a)], who wrote: “Stanley, who studied mathematically precocious youth for decades, explained that 25 years ago there were 13 boys for every girl who scored above 700 on the SAT-M at age 13. Now the ratio is only 2.8:1, which is a precipitous drop that has not been widely reported in the news media. According to Stanley, 'It's gone way down as women have had the opportunity to take their math earlier' (quoted in Monastersky (2005). . . . For further references in this area see “Gender Issues in Science/Math Education [Mallow & Hake (2008)].

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To access the complete 17 kB post please click on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/31814 .

REFERENCES [Tiny URL's courtesy http://tinyurl.com/create.php.]

Else-Quest, N.M., J.S. Hyde, & M.C. Linn. 2010. “Cross-National Patterns of Gender Differences in Mathematics: A Meta-Analysis,” Psychological Bulletin 136 (1): 103-127; online http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/bul-136-1-103.pdf (160 kB).

Hake, R.R. & J.V. Mallow. 2008. "Gender Issues in Science/Math Education (GISME)": Over 700 Annotated References & 1000 URL's:

*Part 1 - All References in Alphabetical Order

http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/GISME-5t-Part1.pdf (8.5 MB);

*Part 2 - Some References in Subject Order

http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/GISME-5t-Part2.pdf (4.8 MB).

Because periodic updates of GISME necessitate changing the URL's, an address that will always work is "Reference 55 at http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/." The abstract is also online at http://hakesedstuff.blogspot.com/2008/11/gender-issues-in-sciencemath-education.html with a provision for comments.

Part 2 subjects are:

a. Affirmative Action;

b. Constructivism: Educational and Social;

c. Drivers of Educational Reform and Gender Equity: Economic Competitiveness and Preservation of Life on Planet Earth;

d. Education and the Brain;

e. Gender and Spatial Visualization;

f. Harvard [Ex-] President Summers' Speculation on Innate Gender Differences in Science and Math Ability;

g. Hollywood Actress Danica McKellar's Book "Math Doesn't Suck";

h. Interactive Engagement;

i. International Comparisons;

j. Introductory Physics "Curriculum S" (for Synthesis);

k. Is There a Female Science? - Pro & Con;

l. Schools Shortchange Girls (or is it Boys?)

m. SEX DIFFERENCES IN MATHEMATICAL ABILITY: FACT OR ARTIFACT;

n. Status of Women at MIT.

Hake, R.R. 2010a. “Re: Girls and Boys math scores,” online on the OPEN! TIPS archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/tips%40fsulist.frostburg.edu/msg00123.html . Post of 06 Feb 2010 20:15:51-0800 to Math-Learn, Math-Teach, PhysLrnR, & TIPS.

Hake, R.R. 2010b. “Gender Issues in Science/Math Education (was Girls and Boys math scores)” online at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/31814 . Post of 7 Feb 2010 3:22 pm EST to AERA-L, Net-Gold, and PhysLrnR. The abstract is also being transmitted to various discussion lists.

Halpern, D.F., C.P. Benbow, D.C. Geary, R. Gur, J.S. Hyde, & M.A. Gernsbacher. 2007a. “The science of sex differences in science and mathematics,” Psychological Science in the Public Interest 8: 1-51; contains a large set of references; online at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Peabody/SMPY/ScienceSexDifferences.pdf (880 kB).

"The Threat to Life on Planet Earth" Is a More Important Issue Than David Brooks' "Skills Slowdown"

In the following two discussion list posts I argue that the"Threat to Life on Planet Earth" is a more important issue facing the Nation than David Brooks' "Skills Slowdown":

1. "Is the 'Skills Slowdown' the Biggest Issue Facing the Nation?" [Hake (2008a)] - ABSTRACT (see that article for the references):

G.S. Chandy of the Math-Teach list has called attention to David Brooks' Op-Ed piece titled "The Biggest Issue."  Brooks wrote: "I point to these two research projects . . . ["The Race Between Education and Technology" (Goldin & Katz, 2008) and "Schools, Skills, and Synapses" (Heckman, 2008). . . . because the SKILLS SLOWDOWN IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE facing the country. . . .  this slow-moving problem, more than any other, will shape the destiny of the nation. . . . America rose because it got more out of its people than any other nation.  That stopped in 1970. Now, other issues grab the headlines and campaign attention. But this tectonic plate is still relentlessly and menacingly shifting beneath our feet."  I argue that a bigger issue and a more menacing tectonic plate, seldom mentioned by editorialists such as Brooks, economists such a Goldin, Katz, and Heckman; and select committees - see, e.g., "Rising Above the Gathering Storm" [NAP (2007)] is the "Threat to Life on Planet Earth."

2. "Is the 'Skills Slowdown' the Biggest Issue Facing the Nation? - ADDENDUM" [Hake (2008b)] - ABSTRACT [see that article for references other than Hake & Mallow (2008)]:

Eugene Geis (2008) of the PHYSOC list pointed out a serious deficiency in my previous post "Is the 'Skills Slowdown' the Biggest Issue Facing the Nation?", writing "You could've attempted a paraphrasing of your concept of the 'Threat to Life on Planet Earth' . . . ." Rather than attempting to paraphrase the 22 references in Part 2 of Hake & Mallow (2008), I list seven of those references that reflect the work of Al Bartlett, James Duderstadt, Arjun Makhijani, Bill McKibben, Craig Nelson, Gus Speth, and Edward Wilson. 

REFERENCES

Brooks, D. 2008. "The Biggest Issue," New York Times, 29 July; online at 

<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/opinion/29brooks.html?ref=opinion>. Because this piece may soon be available only to subscribers, I have copied an annotated and referenced version into the OPEN! AERA-L archives at <http://tinyurl.com/5ofthx>.  Such copying is in accord with "fair use" of copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law.  For more information go to <http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml>.

Hake, R.R. 2008a. "Is the 'Skills Slowdown' the Biggest Issue Facing the Nation?" online on the OPEN! AERA-D archives at <http://tinyurl.com/afg744>.  Post of 4 Aug 2008 to AERA-D and other discussion lists.

Hake, R.R. 2008b. "Is the 'Skills Slowdown' the Biggest Issue Facing the Nation? - ADDENDUM," online on the OPEN! AERA-D archives at <http://tinyurl.com/cytr2h> . Post of 5 Aug 2008 to AERA-D and other discussion lists.

Hake, R.R.  & J.V. Mallow. 2008. "Gender Issues in Science/Math Education (GISME)," over 700 Annotated References & 1000 URL's: Part 1 - All references in alphabetical order; Part 2 - Some references in subject order; both online at ref. 55 at <http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/>, and on this blog at 

<http://hakesedstuff.blogspot.com/2008/11/gender-issues-in-sciencemath-education.html>.

Gender Issues in Science/Math Education (GISME)

Some readers might be interested in "Gender Issues in Science/Math Education (GISME) [Hake & Mallow (2008)].  (Please scroll down to REFERENCES, find "Hake & Mallow (2008) and click on the indicated URL.)

REFERENCES

Hake, R.R. & J.V. Mallow. 2008. "Gender Issues in Science/Math Education (GISME): Over 700 Annotated References and 1000 URL's:

Part 1 - All References in Alphabetical Order; and

Part 2 - Some References in Subject Order;

all online as ref. 55 at  http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/

Part 2 subjects are:

a. Affirmative Action;

b. Constructivism: Educational and Social;

c. Drivers  of Educational Reform and Gender Equity: Economic Competitiveness and 

      Preservation of Life on Planet Earth;

d. Education and the Brain;

e. Gender and Spatial Visualization;

f. Harvard President Summers' Speculation on Innate Gender Differences in 

      Science and Math Ability; 

g. Hollywood Actress Danica McKellar's Book "Math Doesn't Suck";

h. Interactive Engagement;

i. International Comparisons;

j. Introductory Physics "Curriculum S" (for Synthesis);

k. Is There a Female Science? - Pro & Con;

l. Schools Shortchange Girls (or is it Boys?)

m. Sex Differences in Mathematical Ability: Fact or Artifact?;

n. Status of Women at MIT.