A Once Hopeless Math Student
by: Nicole Murgia
As a girl who once struggled and despised everything that had to do with math, I can personally relate to Carol S. Dweck’s explanation of why many women believe that they are not “gifted” in math in her essay Is Math a Gift? Beliefs that put Females at Risk.
It was a September day and I was sitting in my fifth grade math class. The teacher was returning our most recent test, and my peers and I were anxiously waiting for our grades. I wasn’t particularly worried, for I had exceled in math in the past years. However, my confidence was shattered when my test was returned to me, with a big F and a note from my teacher that read “see me”. I remember trying to hold back tears while also trying to cover my red ink covered test from my peers, especially the boy sitting next to me holding his perfect test, who had already let out a laugh. It was that moment that I began doubting my ability in math and began to have the mindset that I simply was not gifted and would never be gifted in the mathematical area.
taken from: http://www.infowars.com
In her article, Dweck discussed and backed her assumption that the belief that math is a gift is what causes women to have difficulty in the subject. In a study testing 5th grade students, girls who viewed their ability as something that could be nurtured, received significantly better grades than girls who viewed ability as a gift (Dweck 49). There was little to no effect when boys were tested in the same study. In another study, this time observing college students in a calculus course with mainly males, the same results were recorded. Women who viewed ability as something that can be improved upon excelled, while women who viewed math a gift did significantly worse in the class and decided they no longer wanted to pursue math in the future (Dweck 50). Dweck came up with a solution for this apparent problem that involved “addressing students’ beliefs about the nature of ability” (Dweck 51). This assumption was tested in a study that conducted and eight session intervention for middle school students (Dweck 51). After students were informed of how they have the ability to increase their intellectual skills over time, they showed increased motivation to succeed in the classroom (Dweck 51).
After I received my first failing grade of my school career in that 5th grade class, I too experienced the same discouragement and doubtfulness that the girls who viewed math as a gift did in the study. After talking to my teacher, she assured me that I was not a hopeless math student and I could too be like that boy who sat next to me with the perfect test score. Throughout that year, I constantly went to extra help sessions with my inspiring teacher and would study for hours every night before my math tests with my dad. By the end of the year, I had kept up an A average in the class and was recommended for the advanced math class for the next year.
Through my personal experience, I learned that anything is possible if you believe that you have the ability to improve yourself. With support and confidence, anyone can succeed in whatever they put their mind to. While my assumption is not backed by scientific evidence, I believe that it can be the answer to young girls struggling in math courses just like me.