undergraduates' attitudes and the study of mathematics at the ...

The findings that girls were frightened of maths than boys (Tobias, 1978) and that girls
were unsure of their mathematical ability (Joffe and Foxman, 1986) could be a result of
such influences through negative practices in the classroom. A number of studies have
shown that boys' more interaction with teachers in class than girls tend to influence better
development of mathematical concepts among male students. Also the pattern of
interaction in class tended to make boys appear more competent in maths than girls
(Jungwirth, 1991). Boys greater use of verbal and non-verbal language to dominate more
of the teacher's time in terms of attention and classroom control is one of the influencing
factors favouring boys in class (Skelton, 1993). For example, boys attraction to the
teacher's time could be attained by boys being more mobile than girls in the classroom
(Serbin, 1978 and Lee, 1990).
The belief to some people that maths was a male domain Boswell (1985) was not only
held by ordinary people in society e.g. those who were not in the field of maths, but also
to maths teachers themselves. Some maths teachers had a belief that boys were more
academically capable than girls and that boys' maths contributions were more impressive
(Fennema at el 1990 and Fennema, 1990). Though some girls' work could be identical to
that of boys, boys could still be rated higher than girls. The sex of the teacher could also
be an influencing factor where for example the assessment of boys by a female teacher
could produce a generous mark, whilst the most severe marking of girls' work by a male
teacher (Goddar-Spear, 1989).
As some studies have shown, girls in co-education schools had some negative attitude
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