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    Gender stereotyping in mothers’ and teachers’ perceptions of boys’ and girls’ mathematics performance in Ireland


    McCoy, Selina and Byrne, Delma and O’Connor, Pat (2022) Gender stereotyping in mothers’ and teachers’ perceptions of boys’ and girls’ mathematics performance in Ireland. Oxford Review of Education, 48 (3). pp. 341-363. ISSN 0305-4985

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    Abstract

    Parents' and teachers’ beliefs and evaluations of young people are important. Using a feminist institutionalist perspective, and drawing on rich data from one in seven nine-year-old children in Ireland, this paper examines mothers’ (who make up the overwhelming majority of primary care-givers) and teachers’perceptions of boys’ and girls’ mathematics performance. The evidence shows that girls’ mathematics performance is underestimated by both relative to boys’. Mother’s gender bias was evident among high performing children, at all levels of children’s academic self-concept, and among mothers with at least third level education. While the judgements reflect children’s actual performance and engagement, a notable gender gap remains. It is suggested that the results reflect gender stereotypes: overestimating boys’ and underestimating girls’ mathematics achievements. The article indicates the importance of the informal dimension of institutions and the part played by women in the effective devaluation of girls by endorsing gendered stereotypes. Women teachers are less likely to rate children highly in mathematics, taking account of performance: arguably reflecting their own lack of confidence in mathematics assessment. The findings raise concerns for girls’ futures since mathematics is seen as an indicator of intelligence. Given the move towards teacher-assessed grading during COVID-19, understanding, and challenging, gender-stereotyping is pressing

    Item Type: Article
    Additional Information: Cite as: Selina McCoy, Delma Byrne & Pat O’Connor (2022) Gender stereotyping in mothers’ and teachers’ perceptions of boys’ and girls’ mathematics performance in Ireland, Oxford Review of Education, 48:3, 341-363, DOI: 10.1080/03054985.2021.1987208
    Keywords: Gender stereotypes; mathematics; teachers’ perceptions; mothers’ perceptions; children’s agency; academic performance
    Academic Unit: Faculty of Social Sciences > Applied Social Studies
    Faculty of Social Sciences > Sociology
    Item ID: 16897
    Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2021.1987208
    Depositing User: Delma Byrne
    Date Deposited: 30 Jan 2023 15:52
    Journal or Publication Title: Oxford Review of Education
    Publisher: Taylor & Francis online
    Refereed: Yes
    URI:
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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