Geschlechtsspezifische Besonderheiten in der Entwicklung mathematischer Begabungen

Forschungsergebnisse und praktische Konsequenzen

Abstract

Despite the scientific consensus about girls’ and boys’ equal potentials of giftedness across all academic domains, girls and women are in proportion decidedly underrepresented in both mathematical and natural-scientific education and corresponding occupational areas. This observation can already be made with primary school-children who take part in programmes that foster mathematical giftedness. From the perspective of giftednessresearch, it is of interest to look for particularities that might make possible a more differentiated identification and support of mathematically gifted girls. From the author’s point of view gender- and giftedness-specific researches into particularities in the development of mathematical giftedness are a question of widespread, complex and interdisciplinary approaches. In the following essay theoretically-analytically constructed and empirically proved “hypothetical particularities” of mathematically gifted girls and their possible conclusions in order to explain the mentioned phenomenon of underrepresentation will be described. Beyond that practical implications in order to foster girls and boys will be deduced.