Introduction

For several years, mathematicians and mathematics education researchers (e.g., Furinghetti, 1993; Lim & Ernest, 1999) have expressed concerns about the ‘image problem’ of mathematics, a field perceived to be defined by rigid rules, only for a ‘select few’, and irrelevant to everyday life. Mathematicians are viewed as socially inept, unattractive, middle-aged males (Mendick, Epstein, & Moreau, 2007; Picker & Berry, 2000, 2001). Research (e.g., Ma, 1999; Singh, Granville, & Dika, 2002) shows that students’ achievement and participation in mathematics are impacted by their attitudes toward the subject area. Learning about students’ views of mathematicians will help us understand, and subsequently challenge, stereotypes and misconceptions students hold.

Theoretical Perspective

I assume a feminist and social constructivist stance; thus, I conceive of the discipline of mathematics and conceptions about mathematics and mathematicians as socially constructed and historically and culturally situated. I acknowledge society’s role in policing ‘gender-appropriate’ behaviour, particularly in mathematics, a field historically constructed as a male domain.

Through social interactions and cognitive reorganization [as per Cobb’s (1994) complementarist social constructivist stance], we construct knowledge about the discipline of mathematics and about being a mathematician. Similarly, we gain understandings of societal values and beliefs, including gender stereotypes, about mathematics and mathematicians. This perspective provides a basis for understanding how students form views of mathematicians, and how those views relate to societal values, beliefs, and stereotypes.

Research Design

The research reported in this paper is part of an ongoing, multifaceted project that investigates elementary students’ views of mathematics and mathematicians, and the ways those views are impacted by parents’ views, teachers’ views, and popular media. The project involves Grade 4 and Grade 8 students completing online questionnaires, drawing pictures of mathematicians, and participating in focus group interviews. The study also includes an analysis of children’s media for representations of mathematics and mathematicians, and parent and teacher interviews.

By focusing on students’ views of mathematicians, this paper seeks to partially address one of the study’s research questions:

How do elementary schoolchildren view mathematics and mathematicians?

a) Are there differences between boys’ and girls’ views?

b) How do children’s views evolve as they move from middle (Grade 4) to senior elementary school (Grade 8)?

Specifically, findings are reported from the section of the online questionnaire pertaining to students’ views of and experiences with mathematicians. The questionnaire was completed by 156 students from 18 elementary schools in Ontario, Canada. Participation was fairly grade- and gender-balanced: 54.5% of the participants were girls compared to 45.5% boys, and 49.4% were Grade 4 students compared to 50.6% Grade 8 students.

The ‘mathematician’ section of the questionnaire included open and closed questions that investigated students’ experiences with real-life and media mathematicians. Additionally, students’ perceptions of mathematicians and their work, and students’ interest in the field were queried.

Open questions were analyzed through emergent coding, whereas percentages were calculated for multiple-choice questions. Responses to the five-point Likert-scale questions were aggregated into three categories – agree, disagree, and neither – and descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations calculated.

Findings

Most students reported having no experience with mathematicians. Students who had met a mathematician (19.9% of participants) viewed them positively, as ‘nice’, ‘normal’, and ‘intelligent’. These mathematicians were mostly encountered in the students’ families or at school (i.e., a teacher). Media mathematicians (seen by 32.7% of participants) were primarily seen on television. Students provided varied descriptions of media mathematicians, focusing far more on appearances than students who had met mathematicians.

Many students (15-45%, depending on the question) either did not respond to the questions about mathematicians or selected a neutral response. Respondents most commonly viewed a mathematician working in a teaching capacity, using classroom tools (e.g., calculator, pencil). Students recognized the importance of thinking in this profession, with the brain being a commonly-cited mathematician ‘tool’. Other commonly-held views were that mathematicians were not nerdy, did fun work, and worked alone.

Despite these positive views, only 10% of students wanted to become or marry a mathematician. Students who had met a mathematician were four times as likely to want to become one and twice as likely to want to marry one as students who had not met a mathematician. This suggests that meeting a mathematician can improve students’ viewpoints.

Boys and girls, as well as Grade 4 and Grade 8 students, held similar views about mathematicians’ work and tools, and a similar disinterest in becoming or marrying mathematicians. A few areas showed gender differences, such as boys’ increased exposure to mathematicians in real life and in the media. Boys were also more likely to think mathematicians were nerdy and did fun work. Grade 4 students had less exposure than Grade 8 students to media mathematicians, which may contribute to Grade 4 students’ more positive views about mathematicians doing fun work and not being nerdy.

Concluding Remarks

The high number of non-responses suggests that many participants lack an understanding of mathematicians and their work, as has been found previously (Gadanidis, in press; Picker & Berry, 2000, 2001). The participants’ perceptions of mathematicians in teaching positions, using classroom tools, also align with prior research (Gadanidis, in press; Rock & Shaw, 2000).

The participants’ responses provide an understanding of their views about mathematicians and new insight as to what impacts their views, such as meeting a mathematician compared to seeing one on television. Also, gender- and grade-related similarities and differences provide further impetus for discussion, particularly with regard to the impact of the media and gender-role expectations.

With recent enrolment declines in university-level mathematics in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2010), it is opportune to address the lack of interest in the field, which is already evident at the elementary school level. Elementary teachers can profoundly impact students’ views of mathematicians. Open discussions about mathematics and mathematicians may allow students to explore their beliefs and understandings, and may possibly lead to new perspectives. School visits by mathematicians and websites that feature mathematicians from a variety of fields may help children expand their views and dispel negative stereotypes about the field.

References

Cobb, P. (1994). Where is the mind? Constructivist and sociocultural perspectives on mathematical development. Educational Researcher, 23(7), 13-20.

Furinghetti, F. (1993). Images of mathematics outside the community of mathematicians: Evidence and explanations. For the Learning of Mathematics, 13(2), 33-38.

Gadanidis, G. (in press). What does a mathematician do? Delta-K.

Lim, C. S., & Ernest, P. (1999). Public images of mathematics. Philosophy of Mathematics Education Journal, 11, Article 6. Retrieved January 2, 2009 from             http://people.exeter.ac.uk/PErnest/pome11/art6.htm.

Ma, X. (1999). A meta-analysis of the relationship between anxiety toward mathematics and achievement in mathematics. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 30(5), 520-540.

Mendick, H., Epstein, D., & Moreau, M.-P. (2007). Mathematical images and identities: Education, entertainment, social justice. Swindon, United Kingdom: Economic and Social Research Council.

Picker, S. H., & Berry, J. S. (2000). Investigating pupils’ images of mathematicians. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 43(1), 65-94.

Picker, S. H., & Berry, J. S. (2001). Your students’ images of mathematicians and mathematics. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 7(4), 202-208.

Rock, D., & Shaw, J. M. (2000). Exploring children’s thinking about mathematicians and their work. Teaching Children Mathematics, 6(9), 550-555.

Singh, K., Granville, M., & Dika, S. (2002). Mathematics and science achievement: Effects of motivation, interest, and academic engagement. The Journal of Educational Research, 95(6), 323-332.

Statistics Canada. (2010). Table 477-0013 - University enrolments, by registration status, program level, Classification of Instructional Programs, Primary Grouping (CIP_PG) and sex, annual (number), CANSIM (database), Using E-STAT (distributor). http://estat.statcan.gc.ca/ (accessed: February 12, 2010)

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The session will consist of a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation that highlights key findings and raises questions from the research. Participants will then participate in roundable discussions for 15 minutes. During this time, participants will be invited to share their own experiences with and views of mathematicians, and discuss implications for practice.

This presentation does not deal with assessment systems, professional learning, or instructional interventions.