to gender differences.The study showed gender differences apparent in every analysis. However, thestudy does not propose reasons for these differences. One of the possibleimplications of this study, that gender related differences in math ability areapparent from such a young age conflicts with information presented some of theother papers I reviewed.In three studies, there is a great emphasis on gender related abilities in math whichare related to adolescence. In Gender Roles in Marriage: What do They Meanfor Girls' and Boys' School Achievement, by Kimberly A. Updegraff, Susan M.McHale and Ann C. Crouter (1996), the researchers evaluate differences in familydynamics to determine what implications these might have for gender related mathability. This article was very interesting, although the research question was bitingoff more than it could chew. What this article finds is that girls from families whohave a more egalitarian family structure are less likely to suffer a decline in mathability at adolescence. This article also suggests that it is not the girls "hardwiring" which causes math ability differences. I interpret this article as implyingthat the root of the problem could be in gender role stereo types.In Single Sex Math Classes: What and For Whom? One School's Experiences, Richard Durost (1996) reports that when administrators talked to many of the girlsin his school, the girls stated that they felt mentally intimidated by the boys. Teachers noted that boys asked questions, talked and competed, while girls tendedto reflect, listen, and cooperate. In an attempt to deal with gender relatedperformance issues, Mr. Durost's school implemented a all female section AlgebraI. The females who participated in the pilot program did show an increase in theirmath scores. This paper suggests that the differences in math ability are not "hardwired". That it may not be a difference in a girl's ability to "do" math or learnmath, ...
