Gender Differences in Taiwanese Ninth-Grade Mathematics Achievement and Female STEM Field Participation

• In Event: International Education Across the Years

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to investigate whether there is a gender difference in geometry achievement in Taiwanese high school students. The sample tested was 205 ninth grade students drawn from four high schools in Taipei, Taiwan, representing top, middle, and low-level mathematics ability. Analyzed using t-test, one-way ANOVA and two-way ANOVA, the results demonstrate no significant gender differences in geometry achievement. Additionally, there were no significant differences when top-level females were compared to top-level males. However, when top-level females were compared to low-level females, a significant difference was found. While there appears to be no gender difference in mathematics ability, potential reasons for the lack of Taiwanese female participation in STEM studies is explored.

Author

• Sylvia W. Lee, Bowie State University