Girls’ Mathematics Anxiety Increases During Secondary Education in England
A comprehensive study conducted in England has found that girls' anxiety about mathematics increases more than boys' throughout secondary education. The study, carried out by the Observatory for Mathematical Education, involved a total of 50,000 pupils, parents, teachers and curriculum leaders from 174 primary schools, 148 secondary schools and 41 sixth-form colleges.
According to the findings, 52% of girls in Year 1 of primary school said they were worried about not being able to answer maths questions quickly, compared with 48% of boys. The gap widened significantly during secondary education. In Year 8, 58% of girls said they frequently worried that maths would be difficult for them, compared with 41% of boys.
Gender differences in confidence in mathematics were also observed among Year 13 students. While 68% of boys reported high or moderately high levels of confidence, the figure was 54% among girls.
The study also highlighted concerns about the pace of learning. Among Year 8 pupils who had not met the expected standard in Year 6 national assessments, 31% said they had not fully understood the current topic before their class moved on to a new one. Meanwhile, 23% of teachers reported regularly moving on to new topics before all pupils were ready.