Attitudes of ninth grade male and female students who participated in the Montana Mathematics and Science Project

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there were any gender differences in attitudes toward mathematics among 9th grade students who participated in the Systemic Initiative for Montana Mathematics and Science (SIMMS) Project during the 1992-93 school year and to assertain if any changes in attitudes had occurred from fall to spring.A sample of 98 boys and 81 girls representing 12 SIMMS classrooms was administrated a 40item opinion survey to assess various dimensions of their attitudes toward mathematics.Using a chi-square statistic, the relationships between attitudes about mathematics by sex and over time, as well as any significant interaction between attitudes and gender over time were analyzed.Three major questions were addressed: (a) Are there any differences in attitudes toward mathematics between ninth grade boys and girls ?(b) Are there any differences in attitudes of all students apart from gender at the end of the school year compared to the beginning?and (c) Is there any interaction effect between attitude and gender over time?Results indicated that boys tend to uphold the traditional view regarding male dominance in the subject.Girls are less interested in taking more advanced math courses and indicate less confidence in their ability to do well in mathematics.However, when attitudes apart from gender are considered, some significant differences are noted between students responses in the fall of 1992 compared to their responses to the same statements by spring of 1993.Mostly however, results of responses to all 40 statements indicate that most students share the same attitudes towards mathematics regardless of gender and that attitudes once formed do not seem to change much over time.To close the gender gap in mathematics, and to improve attitudes towards mathematics overall, intervention and remediation programs must begin at the elementary and especially the middle school grades, when attitudes toward mathematics are formed.