A major international test has revealed a concerning gender gap in maths among Australian school students. In the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Australia’s boys did much better than girls. Year 4 boys outperformed girls by the equal highest margin out of 58 countries that did the test. The story is not much […] … learn more→
Tag Archives: maths
Why are boys outperforming girls in maths?
US math teachers view student performance differently based on race and gender
Teachers report thinking that if girls do better in math than boys, it is probably because of their innate ability and effort. But they also report that when boys do well in math, it is more likely due to parental support and society’s higher expectations for their success. That’s what we discovered from 400 elementary […] … learn more→
Maths at school: where does the problem come from?
It is a discipline that occupies a special place in the French school system and is part of the so-called fundamental learning. However, “the current image of mathematics is worrying”, noted Cédric Villani, mathematician and deputy, and Charles Torossian, inspector of National Education in their report on the teaching of maths delivered in 2018. And the […] … learn more→
Girls still fall behind boys in top scores for AP math exams
After decades of growth, the number of high school girls who take Advanced Placement math exams is now almost the same as the number for boys. In 1997, 83 girls for every 100 boys took an AP math exam. By 2019, that number rose to 96 for every 100 boys. But when it comes to […] … learn more→
What place for maths in France?
A storm wind currently seems to be blowing on the teaching of mathematics if we judge by the sensational declarations of this beginning of the year 2022 around the reform of the high school initiated by the Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, and entered into force in 2019. By putting an end to the […] … learn more→
The better you are at math, the more money seems to influence your satisfaction
Your grade school math teacher probably told you that being good at math would be very important to your grownup self. But maybe the younger you didn’t believe that at the time. A lot of research, though, has shown that your teacher was right. We are two researchers who study decision-making and how it relates to […] … learn more→
Transforming math learning, a challenge for school
France, last of the class in maths? Published in December 2020, the latest results of the TIMSS survey are cause for concern for parents and teachers. Indeed, in mathematics, France is in last place at European level and among the very last at OECD level. How to explain such a poor performance? TIMSS is an international program to assess the performance of […] … learn more→
How to help your children with maths you don’t understand
School closures have left many parents in charge of overseeing their children’s education at home. If you are one of them, you might be struggling with maths in particular – not least due to having to grapple with topics and techniques you are unfamiliar with, such as number bonds, abundant numbers, chunking and more. But this is where a […] … learn more→
Kids’ math at home: Think dice games, cooking fractions and ratios with chocolate milk
In the COVID-19 pandemic, children are just as concerned as their parents about what is happening. The closure of schools is a huge upset in children’s lives. As parents support children and consider their learning, this can be an opportunity for both parents and kids to question, explore, think and learn mathematics together through everyday […] … learn more→
When children’s real lives are part of maths lessons, it’s easier to learn
The poor performance of many children in mathematics continues to absorb researchers around the world. Studies of the possible reasons have explored various perspectives, including children’s thinking processes. But low achievement remains a problem worldwide. It’s a problem because mathematics is the bedrock for the development of scientific reasoning. It’s taught at school to help children learn how to […] … learn more→