Students in the United States continue to show a significant gender gap in their academic achievement in mathematics. One reason for this is that females still fall victim to the stereotype of lower math ability; that is, they are vulnerable to "stereotype threat." This project applies lessons from research on student motivation to understand the academic contexts that can heighten or lessen this vulnerability. The research is designed to show that math classes conveying the idea that math ability is a fixed trait -- you have it or you don't -- will lead females to fall prey to stereotype threat. In contrast, math classes that portray math skills as acquirable should defuse the impact of stereotypes. Even someone performing poorly now can still gain ability over time. This view of math skills, in addition to fostering greater achievement, is expected to increase females' enjoyment of math and their sense of belonging to the math community.
The research addresses two key moments in students' educational lives: the transition to junior high school and to college. Educational experiences at these points lay the foundation for future interest in science, technology, engineering and math domains, and thus influence the career paths women take. The findings will have important implications for members of any group who face messages of limited ability in any area of achievement.
