Gender Issues in Mathematics at Secondary Level

Abstract

The main concern or area of this study was “Gender issues in mathematics: A case study”. The objectives of the study were to explore the problem of gender issues in mathematics and also explore the behavior of mathematics teacher toward students. The descriptive case study approach was adopted to conduct the study under the qualitative research design. This study was bounded only in Arghakhanchi district and also this study was based only on Shree Pawar Secondary School, Sitganga Municipality 14, Arghakhanchi. In-depth interview, classroom observation were used as tools for data collection. This study was conducted with the four mathematics students as case study and also two mathematics teachers. The researcher observed classroom for 4 days and interviewed with related students, mathematics teachers. Collected information were analyzed and interpreted with the help of empirical and theoretical review. This study that, Girls and boys are biologically different but their roles, status, position, responsibility are somewhat the same. In our male domain society, there is a different way to see the female from the point of view of mathematics education. There is a belief that female is not able to grasp technical subjects such as mathematics science and therefore is unable to teach. While interacting with male and female teachers and male and female students at secondary level. And summing up their view. This subject to male domain in the society. As our Nepali society is rooted in male oriented society, no matter how many children are equal, they do not seem to be equal in behavior. Due to the mentality that the daughter has to do the housework, there is less time to study as she has to do the housework, so there is less focus on reading but in school, boys and girls were treated equally. It was found that the teachers helped the students with the

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idea that the girls should go further. Despite the same treatment in the school, the achievement of the girls was found to be less than that of the boys. Our country Nepal is male oriented country. Sons are given priority over daughters the daughter sending to government school and sons to private schools is still not over. In this study, I concluded that there are main factors which are gender issues in mathematics at secondary level students such as behavior of teachers, achievement of students in mathematics, educational system, poor management, interest of learner in mathematics, educational environment at school and home and time schedule etc.