And what about that mad scientist, the man in a white lab coat. When we think of popular images of mathematicians and scientists, our minds are not overcrowded with female characters. Neither, it seems, are the minds of our daughters and sons. Girls in our culture have long been receiving mixed messages about what they are capable of in math and science.
Recent studies cite the significant progress made in the area of gender equity.
The fact that there are fewer women in math and science may be well documented, but it is not easily explained. Researchers suggest a host of reasons, including differences between boys and girls in terms of aggression, confidence, interest, and societal influence. The nature of math and science coursework, where students apply what they learn in earlier classes to those they take later on, makes it difficult for women to re-enter math and science career paths once they have chosen other routes. The hypotheses are many. And while not all researchers point to the same reasons for this trend, educators are reaching the same conclusion on what to do about it.