The under-representation of young women in advanced mathematics courses in school, in university mathematics degree programs and in mathematics-related careers in many western countries is of concern for economic and gender-equity reasons. Effective strategies for increasing engagement and participation of girls and young women in mathematics and STEM require an understanding of the forces and factors contributing to the current disengagement. Potential causes include maths anxiety and low confidence in one’s mathematical abilities.
With a focus on Australian data from teachers and students in Choose Maths schools, this report reviews and examines likely causes—including maths anxiety and lower confidence in the mathematical abilities of female students and primary teachers—of the lower interest, participation and achievement of girls and young women in mathematics and it proposes methods for addressing and remediating these barriers.
