The Visibility of Girls and Women in Mathematical Story Picture Books

• In Event: Gendered Representations and Experiences in Mathematics Education

Abstract

This paper explores the visibility level of females in mathematical story picture books (MSPBs). While the effectiveness of teaching mathematics using MSPBs has already been explored over the past three decades, no studies have investigated the extent to which female characters are represented in MSPBs. The study’s focus is framed by Solar’s (1995) feminist pedagogy, a pedagogical philosophy that combines pedagogical theories with feminist values. Specifically, the study attempts to reveal the extent to which females are represented in MSPBs using three measures: gender representation in book titles and front cover images as well as the amount of dialogue (number of words) assigned to male and female characters. Content analysis reveals the underrepresentation of female characters across all three measures.

Author

• Natthapoj Vincent Trakulphadetkrai, University of Reading