고등학교 남녀 학생의 수학 능력에 대한 담론 연구

A Study on the Discourses Related to Mathematical Aptitude in High School Students

This study aims to study the discourses influencing high school students' concept and attitude toward mathematics, and to examine how gender differences concerning mathematical aptitude are created. This study is based on the results of previous two studies which suggested that mathematical competence differs not only according to gender, region and school year, but also even within the same gender. For this study, 12 students ranking in the top 10% at two co-ed high schools were interviewed to find out 1) what discourses are related to gender and mathematics, 2) in what way these discourses are formulated and gain currency, and 3) how they have affected students in general. Common notions concerning mathematics may be summed up as follows: 1) Most of the students believe that gender difference in mathematical aptitude results because biologically men tend to be strong in mathematics and analytical skills while women tend to have better linguistic ability. This concept can help male students' studying to have a greater learning toward mathematics. 2) A large number of the students believe that male students' studying method is based on comprehension whereas female students' method is based on retention, and hence the former group tends to be better at applying their learning than the latter group. This notion seres to encourage male students and discourage female students from tackling difficult mathematical problems. 3) Many students believe that, although female students may surpass their male counterparts in middle school or the first year of high school, they will eventually fall behind by the 3rd year. Despite research which shows that these common beliefs are not grounded in scientific proof, high-school girls, who may be strong in mathematics, lose self-confidence and feel a sense of crisis. The mechanisms which produce and reinforce such concepts as those mentioned above can be summarized as follows: 1) Regarding the choice of majors and future career paths, parents show different attitudes toward sons and daughters, and this tends to influence high-school girls and hinders them from entering mathematics-related fields. 2) Teachers with value systems based on stereo-typed gender roles affect students a great deal, and give different advice according to gender of their students, for selecting their major fields - for instance, whether to study the natural sciences as opposed to humanities. 3) This study indicates that peer-group behavior, of either support or exclusion, also reinforces the process of internalizing notions of gender difference related to mathematical aptitude. 4) The gender-based notion that men are naturally more inclined to have better mathematical ability has caused male students to choose the natural science subjects and female students to turn to the humanities. The discourses discussed above, propagated in schools and homes, and in the mass media, are continually reinforced along with general gender inequalities in the society at large.