Girls ARE equal to boys in maths

Menurut penelitian, pada umumnya perempuan memiliki kemampuan yang sama dengan laki-laki di bidang matematika.

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Girls are just as good at maths as boys but fail to pursue the subject because they lack confidence in their abilities, a global study has found.

Research among almost half a million students in 69 countries debunked the myth that boys are better at maths. But the stereotype is putting talented girls off following careers related to the subject, such as engineering, information technology and science, according to the U.S. researchers. The study, by a team from Villanova University in Philadelphia, was based on international tests taken by 493,495 students.

Professor Nicole Else-Quest, from the university, said: ‘These results show that girls will perform at the same level as the boys when they are given the right educational tools and have visible female role models excelling in mathematics. Stereotypes about female inferiority in mathematics are a distinct contrast to the scientific data.’

She said the results showed an even spread of scores between girls and boys.

The research, published in the American Psychological Association’s Psychological Bulletin, also looked at the level of confidence both boys and girls had when completing the tests.

‘Despite overall similarities in math skills, boys felt significantly more confident in their abilities than girls did and were more motivated to do well,’ said Professor Else-Quest.

An excerpt of an article from www.dailymail.co.uk