Gender Differences in Mathematical Problem-Solving Patterns Assignment

Assignment Task

Literature Review

Are there gender differences in mathematical skills?

Background

In this assessment, you will start to critically evaluate the scientific literature on the topic of whether or not there are reliable gender differences in mathematics. There are some very commonly held ideas about gender in psychology. A great deal of research has sought to show how males and females are quite unique in many cognitive domains (e.g., language, spatial, cognitive attributes). Competency in maths is one such attribute that is commonly assumed to support the contention that men are different to woman.

There of course may be some sex differences in physical or psychological attributes, and there may also be some gender differences in other physical or psychological attributes. While many researchers have focussed on gender differences, others have brought attention to gender similarities. In many ways, people of different genders (most research has focussed on males and females) may not be that different!

What is the aim of this literature review (and, what is a literature review?

You will write a literature review on the topic of the gender differences/similarities in mathematics. Your review will cover the empirical evidence for there being any differences in mathematics abilities, as well as the environmental and psychological factors that may influence performance. While the topic has been framed in terms of gender, it is possible some students also consider biological sex. A literature review is not simply a summary of research literature. A literature review is also not simply an argumentative essay. Instead, a literature review aims to critically examine scholarly writings, in the main focussing on research literature, on a specific topic. It generally seeks to evaluate and critique a question or topic.

There is some evidence for gender differences in mathematics, though these differences are quite small and may even disappear in some contexts.
Your literature review should aim to review and asses this literature in order to draw some conclusions about what can be said regarding gender differences/similarities in mathematics abilities.

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