Girls, Women and Mathematics in Spain

1. Girls, Women and Mathematics in Spain A gender study on teaching, learning and research in Mathematics Sara Silvestre and Mario Barajas University of Barcelona Department of Didactics and Educational Organisation

2. Background: Girls, Women and Maths in Spain • more girls than boys enroll in Science studies; • more girls than boys enroll in Mathematics at university (50% first year; 60% of the graduated are women); BUT • minor presence of women in technical or technological studies, being Computer Science the study with less women • vocational studies continue the traditional sexist roles: boys choose those specialties traditionally regarded as masculine; girls choose those traditionally regarded as feminine.

3. Empirical study • Empirical study undertaken in different schools and universities spread all around the country. • Five different groups were selected to undertake the study: • secondary teachers • researchers and university teachers • policy makers, • secondary school students • university students. The study was based on a total of 56 personal interviews.

4. Study 1: Secondary School Students

5. Study 1: Secondary School Students • Personal interest as the main reason for their choice of studies/career. • Care more about their results, compare them with friends, and help each other. • Most girls knew in primary school whether or not they were good at maths. • Maths courses will help them with their other subjects, and will allow them to pursue the career they want. But a few said they really like the subject itself.

6. Study 1: Secondary School Students • Girls think they are harder workers. • Interested in humanities and arts subjects that give them contact with people. • Nobody reports sexism from teachers in the classroom. • Most students don’t have any preference regarding teachers’ gender, . • Girls don’t want to become mathematicians because they have other interests irrespective of any sexist conditioning. • All said they hadn’t studied anything about women mathematicians

7. Study 1: Secondary School Students • Structure of a mathematics lesson: explanation of theory, exercises on the blackboard, individual work. • Many girls prefer individual work • Disliketeaching strategies for dealing with diversity in class -they did not appreciate to work collaboratively • No problem with science, but, though they show an attraction to computers at a user’s level, they have no interest in computer science

8. Study 1: Secondary School Students • Some girls in vocational training don’t want to go to university for not postponing forming a family. • Parents respect their decisions and wouldn’t have a problem with them choosing a maths related career. • Difference in parents’ attitude: • girls in high school encouragement, • girls in vocational studies more pressure traditional gender roles. • Sometimes a different attitude from boys in high school and boys in vocational studies towards girls who want to access traditionally male professions

9. Study 2: Secondary School Teachers

10. Study 2: Secondary School Teachers • Difference between teachers involved in gender education and those who don’t. A) Changes needed regarding Science, Maths and Technologies teaching. The problem is not inherent to Science, but to the ways of performing Science. We continue practicing and teaching a Science and a Technology that are not close to girls. B) The problem is external, social. It has no link with Science/Maths nor with the way of teaching them

11. Study 2: Secondary School Teachers • General interest on the topic of diversity and difference. However, in many cases and despite this interest, the sexual difference is denied. • The mathematic interests are absolutely diverse. • No one perceives sexism in class or in the centre. • Regarding attitude differences among students, girls are tidier and more steadfast in their study; girls work more and better. This has influence on their results.

12. Study 2: Secondary School Teachers Teaching methodologies • A key difference can be seen between the methodologies used for ESO and for High School. • Theory lessons are completely avoidedin the ESO, when pupils are expected to construct their basic mathematical knowledge through exercises and routines. • Methodologies used for High School students are generally based in theoretical lessons followed by exercises and open problems. • These two different approaches to teaching math correspond to a general structural problem in the Spanish secondary system.

13. Study 2: Secondary School Teachers • Aspects that teachers perceive as problems • Training for secondary teachers is very poor, and worse for Mathematics teachers. Studying Mathematics at university has nothing to do with teaching Maths at secondary schools. • Problem with the teaching of Technology and with the social view that is still being transmitted to girls, which relates Technology with a male field. • Roles conveyed by media and family. Lack of social help and politic intervention at work to make possible the compatibility between family and work.

14. Study 2: Secondary School Teachers Aspects that teachers perceive as problems • Most teachers consider having different levels in class a problem and prefer ability grouping. • The reasons for women not choosing those careers and degrees are: • investment of time and dedication which is not compatible with having a family. • women do not desire to be famous in this field. • Support from the partner and family is needed (and not often achieved).

15. Study 2: Secondary School Teachers Aspects that teachers perceive as problems • Vocational Studies are being more enhanced than university. There is still the thought that who is not very intelligent has to do V.S. • A teacher says that there is a lack of interdiciplinarity among the different subjects. Student shouldn’t choose so early. • Contradiction inside the discourses and between discourses and acts • Teachers interested in gender education say that there is freedom to implement projects but not resources or recognition; there is still sexism in didactic materials.

16. Study 2: Secondary School Teachers Solutions proposed by the teachers • Teachers training. Need of specialisation DURING the university studies of those students who want to become teachers. • Importance of adapting contexts of math to girl-related interests as well as talking about women mathematician in class as to present the possibility of having a women’s model. • Importance of motivating young children at home: games and toys. • Importance of teaching math in a recreational way

17. Study 3: University teachers and researchers

18. Study 3: University teachers and researchers • Women in Mathematics at University, both students and teachers, only understand sexism when asked about gender issues. • They attribute sexism to society, external to Mathematics. They still haven’t regarded the issue of Science teaching-learning practices as a possible source of problems, as some of the Secondary teachers have. • Generally, there isn’t the component of reflection on their teaching practices regarding gender issues.

19. Study 3: University teachers and researchers • The mathematic interests of the students/teachers interviewed are absolutely diverse. They don’t follow any pattern. • Not a single student or teacher claims that Mathematics or Science are masculine fields. • Councious that the research and academic world is structurally sexist. All of them see rapid changes towards the overcome of sexism. • All the interviewed women mention personal pleasure as the reason for their choice of studies/career. • There is almost no link or correlation between University mathematicians’ research and interests and Secondary teachers interests and needs.

20. Girls, Women and Mathematics in Spain A gender study on teaching, learning and research in Mathematics Sara Silvestre and Mario Barajas University of Barcelona Department of Didactics and Educational Organisation