Browsing by Author "Laiho, Vilma"

The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a connection between gen- der in the hidden curriculum and girls' weaker self-concept in mathematics. I dis- cuss how gender occurs in education of mathematics, how girls' lower self-concept in mathematics takes shape and what kind of connections can be found in between gender occuring in education of mathematics and girls' self-concept in mathemat- ics. My hypothesis was that gender occurs in elementary school during mathemat- ics lessons and it affects the formation of a weaker self-concept in mathematics for girls. This research is a bachelor's thesis that has been carried out as a literature review. The study is a narrative review of gender in the mathematics in elementary school and girls' self-concept in mathematics. Source material has been explicitly selected in spring 2019. The study showed that gender occurs both in the teaching of mathematics and in the self-concept in mathematics of girls. The self-concept in mathematics is formed by comparing and experimenting. The attitudes and beliefs in mathematics, at home, at school, in social networks and in society affect the development of a self- concept in math. Characters' roles and activities in textbooks are still stereotypical in terms of gender. In addition, teachers perceive themselves more gender-neutral than they are. Girls consider mathematics as important as boys and perform in it just as well. However, girls' perception of themselves as mathematic experts and learners is weaker than boys. Although the basis of this study cannot unambiguously find connection between gender occurrence of teaching of mathematics and girls weaker self-concept in math, these phenomena can be seen linked.