“Dear Math, I’m Not a Fan of You”

Shifting Middle School Girls’ Perceptions of Mathematics

Bibliographic Data

ID22043546
AuthorsClaudia Bertolone-Smith (0000-0003-1821-9556, California State University, Chico), Lynda R Wiest (0000-0001-5024-188X, University of Nevada, Reno), Heather Glynn Crawford-Ferre (Nevada Department of Education)
Year2026
Volume16
Issue2
Pages308
Publication date2026-02-13
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEducation Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/educsci16020308
OpenAlexW7128802046
LanguageEN
References cited44

Girls can develop poor perceptions of mathematics and themselves as doers of mathematics relatively early in their schooling. Strengthening their content knowledge and attitudes toward mathematics can improve their participation in voluntary math-related pursuits, including careers. The purpose of this research was thus to investigate the role of one potential support strategy: a one-week residential summer mathematics program for middle school girls. We examined 48 girls’ pre- and post-perceptions of mathematics while attending such a program. At the program’s beginning and end, the girls wrote a brief “Dear Math” letter to share their perceptions of and relationship to mathematics, and they were asked to draw and explain a picture of themselves doing mathematics. Participant data were analyzed into themes, and program beginning and end data were compared for evidence of change. The data showed favorable movement, particularly in viewing mathematics as a more collaborative and less procedural endeavor than participants previously thought. The program’s atmosphere and approaches were deemed integral to the outcomes achieved, some of which were unique to out-of-school-time programs and some of which might be applied to formal schooling. Implications for pedagogy, research, and out-of-school time programs are discussed

Math education · Multimethodology · Participant observation · Perception · Career Development and Diversity · Early Childhood Education and Development · Education, Achievement, and Giftedness

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