Are boys better than girls at math?
Let’s finally finish with a rather sensitive topic: is there a gene for mathematics in boys and girls ?
Some statistics corroborate certain trends:
- In Spain, in third grade, 82% of girls dominate the skills related to the Spanish language, against 68% of boys.
- In mathematics, we speak of 87% men and 86.8% women.
- In the US, out of 7 million students in 10 states, ages 7, 10, or 18, there seems to be no difference between girls and boys.
Where does this legend of the gift of mathematics in men and the literary fiber in the female agent come from?
Maybe from the orientation of the students. Girls are directed more toward teaching, literary studies, or the paramedical and social professions. Men privilege engineering, scientific and industrial studies, technology, commerce …
The explanation can also come from education and the family. From a very young age, children are introduced to educational games related to construction in which they work on geometry, algebra and spatial perception. While the girls play more like moms or the saleswoman. It may be a principle of explanation before the strong propensity of men towards scientific matters. But this is not a fatality: boys are not at all more gifted than girls for mathematics. Are boys better than girls at math?