(B) Only a few secondary school girls like Mathematics?

We did explain in part (A) Why Mathematics, the reasons as to why students opt in or out of the subject of Mathematics. It was mentioned that the "liking" developed by a student for the subject counts a lot in the eventual understanding of the concepts taught. However, responding to the question above, 50% of the questionnaires showed that few girls like Mathematics. The reasons advanced were as stipulated below:

Generally, girls enjoy studying subjects that they only have to cram, which interestingly, are the Arts. This is probably because Mathematics requires them to think a lot which most of them dislike. Some students think that because the concepts are taught fast, most girls do not understand the concepts and hence the lack of interest. However, from the studies of personality development in psychology girls are known to develop mental, hearing and other abilities much faster than the boys (Sigmund Freud). So, what is the problem? Other reasons advanced suggest that most girls found Mathematical concepts impracticable. Sometimes Mathematics is found by the girls to be complicated to understand. Some of the reasons for this are more of a myth and have no scientific basis. For instance, the view here is that the girls find Mathematics a very had subject because they harbour a belief that girls are naturally weak in Mathematics. Another school of thought feels that the girls begin to hate Mathematics because the teachers do not teach them well enough to understand the subject. The research came up with one other view that Mathematics requires a lot of patience especially as regards Mathematical formulae, that girls are not ready for.

On the contrary, the other 50% thought: Most girls are aiming to-date, for jobs that are Mathematics oriented and as such are gunning for the subject. Interest among girls is up. Results from Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) have consistently shown girl students especially at Ordinary Level, as having done best in the Examinations, ofcourse, including Mathematics. One of the Best girls' schools in the country, Mt.St.Mary's College Namagunga, has an entire group of about 140 students who annually sit for Ordinary Level examinations, 40% passed Mathematics with distinctions while all the rest had good credits in the subject. This goes to concretise the fact that Mathematics can be done, and very well indeed, by the girls. When it comes to our Advanced Level, on average, 30% of the Mathematics students get the best grade A, and the rest pass with good grades too, giving 100% pass. Thus the fact that girls opt to take Mathematical combinations at Advanced Level and end up perfoming well in the subject lead to a conclusion that, there exit girls in this universe who are in for the subject of Mathematics. The question of being given a chance too counts in determining whether girls will do the Mathematics or not. This is because the cultural mis-conception that Mathematics is not a female affair steps in. Otherwise the girls have the interest and are capable.

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Labongo Badru (Mr.)

E-mail: <labongob@hotmail.com> OR <labongo@msmn.ac.ug>