ABSTRACT
Are there biological differences between men and women that require they be educated differently? Why do girls outperform boys in mathematics in the earlier grades, but as adults, boys are more likely to end up in mathematically intensive careers? How do mathematics teachers perceive students who are successful and not successful in these classes, and why do they give differing responses when discussing boys versus girls? These and other questions will be explored in this chapter, where we first trouble gender by affirming that these categories are social constructions rather than biologically based realities. Next, I apply these examined perspectives on gender to education in general with a look at important contributions from the literature. Finally, I review research in mathematics education that takes up these themes and calls us to examine our teaching practice from these perspectives.
