Correlates and Predictors of Women's Mathematics Participation.

Women have traditionally avoided the study of mathematics. This avoidance has contributed to women's low representation in scientific and technical fields. Reviews by Fox (1977) and Fennema (1977) attempted to identify the numerous cognitive, social, educational, and cultural factors that previous studies indicated may be affecting women's avoidance of mathematics. Although certain categories of variables emerged in these reviews as possible factors, the results were frequently inconclusive due to small sample sizes or because only a few of the possible factors affecting participation were included in each study. The study reported here was a national survey designed to identify the relative importance of the many factors that may be affecting women's participation in mathematics. A national survey of high school seniors provided a large sample for statistical comparisons as well as a vehicle to include measures of most of the factors thought to be affecting women's choice not to pursue mathematics. Study variables were correlated with participation, and regression analyses were performed to evaluate predictive models for participation. Survey results were intended for use in suggesting intervention programs aimed at increasing women's equity in mathematics.