A Perspective on Gender Disparity in Mathematics Education

Using the theoretical concept of equity as a measure of outcomes, this paper discusses mathematics classroom conditions and teacher behaviour that negatively affect the experiences of girl students in secondary schools. The paper draws both on the author's experiences and observations as a former high school mathematics teacher for seven years and also on relevant literature in the field, in discussing these adverse conditions and suggesting strategies to change them. The paper concludes by stressing that teacher leadership should be the fulcrum of any policy development and implementation designed to address female mathematics experiences in the classroom. As part of the conclusion, a suggestion is made for future research in gender equity in mathematics education.