Mathematics as a gendered subject: a deeper insight into students’ attitudes in Irish post-primary schools

Figures & data

Table 1. Summary of statistical significance Q17.

Statement	Test statistic	P-value	Statistically significant gender difference
(a) I enjoy learning mathematics	10.580	0.014	Yes
(b) I wish I did not have to study mathematics	8.143	0.043	Yes
(c) Mathematics is boring	3.711	0.294	No
(d) I learn many interesting things in mathematics	28.792	0.000	Yes
(e) I like mathematics	6.768	0.080	No
(f) I like any schoolwork that involves numbers	21.456	0.000	Yes
(g) I like to solve mathematics problems	62.496	0.000	Yes
(h) I look forward to mathematics class	2.988	0.394	No
(i) Mathematics is one of my favourite subjects	24.671	0.000	Yes

Note: The gender difference in response to the statements was deemed statistically significant if p < 0.05.

Table 2. Summary of statistical significance Q18.

Statement	Test statistic	P-value	Statistically significant gender difference
(a) I know what my teacher expects me to do	2.419	0.490	No
(b) My teacher is easy to understand	2.615	0.455	No
(c) I am interested in what my teacher says	2.377	0.498	No
(d) My teacher gives me interesting things to do	2.852	0.415	No
(e) My teacher has clear answers to my questions	7.257	0.064	No
(f) My teacher is good at explaining mathematics	6.498	0.090	No
(g) My teacher lets me show what I have learned	1.322	0.724	No
(h) My teacher does a variety of things to help us learn	11.924	0.008	Yes
(i) My teacher tells me how to do better when I make a mistake	8.122	0.044	Yes
(j) My teacher listens to what I have to say	2.563	0.464	No

Note: The gender difference in response to the statements was deemed statistically significant if p < 0.05.

Table 3. Summary of statistical significance Q19.

Statement	Test statistic	P-value	Statistically significant gender difference
(a) I usually do well in mathematics	13.773	0.003	Yes
(b) Mathematics is more difficult for me than for any of my classmates	9.881	0.020	Yes
(c) Mathematics is not one of my strengths	41.183	0.000	Yes
(d) I learn things quickly in mathematics	24.142	0.000	Yes
(e) Mathematics makes me nervous	40.232	0.000	Yes
(f) I am good at working out difficult mathematics problems	133.313	0.000	Yes
(g) My teacher tells me I am good at mathematics	7.213	0.065	No
(h) Mathematics is harder for me than any other subject	33.353	0.000	Yes
(i) Mathematics makes me confused	35.763	0.000	Yes

Note: The gender difference in response to the statements was deemed statistically significant if p < 0.05.

Table 4. Summary of statistical significance Q20.

Statement	Test statistic	P-value	Statistically significant gender difference
(a) I think learning mathematics will help me in my daily life	31.200	0.000	Yes
(b) I need mathematics to learn other school subjects	7.764	0.051	No
(c) I need to do well in mathematics to get into the university of my choice	21.357	0.000	Yes
(d) I need to do well in mathematics to get the job I want	16.727	0.001	Yes
(e) I would like a job that involves using mathematics	62.876	0.000	Yes
(f) It is important to learn about mathematics to get ahead in the world	39.846	0.000	Yes
(g) Learning mathematics will give me more job opportunities as an adult	16.112	0.001	Yes
(h) My parents think that it is important that I do well in mathematics	15.349	0.002	Yes
(i) It is important to do well in mathematics	10.550	0.014	Yes

Note: The gender difference in response to the statements was deemed statistically significant if p < 0.05.

Table

Statement	A		B		C		D		E
Gender	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M
Agree a lot % within gender	22.4%	23.6%	21.9%	22.4%	22.9%	25.3%	20.1%	25.6%	24.6%	25.2%
Agree a little % within gender	38.5%	41.9%	25.7%	23.1%	33.8%	32.5%	39.7%	40.0%	35.3%	37.6%
Disagree a little % within gender	21.7%	19.1%	26.0%	24.9%	27.7%	26.8%	27.0%	21.8%	19.0%	19.0%
Disagree a lot % within gender	17.3%	15.4%	26.3%	29.5%	15.6%	15.5%	13.2%	12.6%	21.1%	18.2%

Table

Statement	F		G		H		I
Gender	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M
Agree a lot % within gender	13.9%	15.5%	16.3%	19.8%	11.9%	10.9%	17.1%	18.4%
Agree a little % within gender	26.6%	30.7%	24.9%	31.1%	26.5%	27.4%	18.6%	22.5%
Disagree a little % within gender	35.0%	34.0%	26.0%	26.1%	32.0%	33.6%	22.5%	23.9%
Disagree a lot % within gender	24.6%	19.7%	32.8%	23.1%	29.5%	28.1%	41.9%	35.2%

Table

Statement	A		B		C		D		E
Gender	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M
Agree a lot % within gender	50.8%	50.8%	45.3%	44.2%	32.0%	32.5%	20.2%	21.3%	43.0%	42.6%
Agree a little % within gender	37.7%	39.0%	29.4%	31.5%	38.9%	39.0%	33.5%	33.7%	29.5%	32.1%
Disagree a little % within gender	8.7%	7.6%	17.0%	16.3%	21.3%	19.8%	32.9%	30.8%	19.1%	16.5%
Disagree a lot % within gender	2.8%	2.7%	8.3%	7.9%	7.8%	8.6%	13.4%	14.2%	8.5%	8.8%

Table

Statement	F		G		H		I		J
Gender	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M
Agree a lot % within gender	50.6%	48.3%	25.0%	24.6%	37.2%	37.6%	50.2%	49.5%	53.0%	50.7%
Agree a little % within gender	25.6%	28.9%	36.7%	37.4%	32.2%	35.6%	30.6%	33.8%	30.8%	32.2%
Disagree a little % within gender	15.1%	14.4%	26.5%	25.5%	21.5%	17.8%	13.3%	11.2%	10.9%	11.3%
Disagree a lot % within gender	8.6%	8.4%	11.8%	12.6%	9.1%	9.0%	5.9%	5.6%	5.3%	5.7%

Table

Statement	A		B		C		D		E
Gender	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M
Agree a lot % within gender	27.8%	30.7%	16.3%	13.6%	31.2%	24.3%	21.0%	23.8%	13.0%	8.7%
Agree a little % within gender	44.8%	45.4%	24.1%	24.4%	24.2%	24.6%	34.0%	37.0%	25.5%	21.6%
Disagree a little % within gender	18.6%	17.6%	34.7%	34.0%	26.5%	26.8%	30.2%	28.4%	28.5%	33.7%
Disagree a lot % within gender	8.8%	6.3%	24.9%	28.0%	18.1%	24.3%	14.9%	10.7%	33.0%	36.0%

Table

Statement	F		G		H		I
Gender	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M
Agree a lot % within gender	10.8%	18.3%	16.8%	19.3%	20.9%	16.2%	23.4%	17.0%
Agree a little % within gender	29.7%	37.1%	38.3%	38.9%	21.3%	18.8%	31.4%	31.5%
Disagree a little % within gender	33.1%	29.0%	27.4%	26.0%	26.7%	27.2%	25.9%	28.0%
Disagree a lot % within gender	26.4%	15.6%	17.5%	15.7%	31.0%	37.8%	19.2%	23.5%

Table

Statement	A		B		C		D		E
Gender	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M
Agree a lot % within gender	40.3%	47.2%	35.2%	38.8%	58.8%	64.0%	49.5%	53.8%	11.9%	17.7%
Agree a little % within gender	35.8%	32.9%	41.9%	38.4%	27.3%	26.1%	27.5%	27.3%	24.1%	28.2%
Disagree a little % within gender	16.2%	11.8%	16.2%	15.8%	9.1%	6.2%	14.8%	11.1%	31.1%	29.4%
Disagree a lot % within gender	7.7%	8.1%	6.7%	7.0%	4.8%	3.7%	8.1%	7.8%	33.0%	24.7%

Table

Statement	F		G		H		I
Gender	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M
Agree a lot % within gender	36.9%	44.9%	61.0%	66.5%	72.1%	75.5%	66.1%	70.0%
Agree a little % within gender	38.1%	36.3%	29.6%	25.8%	22.3%	21.0%	26.9%	23.2%
Disagree a little % within gender	17.2%	12.7%	6.0%	5.2%	4.5%	2.5%	4.7%	4.1%
Disagree a lot % within gender	7.8%	6.0%	3.5%	2.5%	1.0%	1.0%	2.3%	2.7%