PMENA-43

"Dear Math, I'm not a fan of you": Shifting middle school girls' perceptions of mathematics

• In Event: Equity and Justice Brief Reports A

Description

In this study, we collected data from 48 middle school girls who attended a five-day residential summer mathematics program. At the program beginning and end, the girls wrote a brief “Dear Math” letter to share their thoughts and feelings about mathematics, and they were asked to draw a picture of themselves doing math and to explain it. Participant data were analyzed into themes, and pre- and post-program data were compared to look for evidence of change. The data show favorable movement, particularly in viewing mathematics as being more collaborative and less procedural.

Authors

• Lynda Wiest, University of Nevada - Reno

• Claudia Marie Bertolone-Smith, California State University Chico

• Heather Crawford-Ferre, Nevada Department of Education