Differences in Cognitive and Learning Styles and Aptitude Abstracts

Two new studies suggest that there may be differences in how boys and girls approach mathematical problems, which may explain why girls get lower scores. In both studies boys were better able to tell whether information provided in a problem was sufficient or relevant

Educational efforts to open up mathematical, physics, engineering and technology fields to women have failed because they have been aimed at making women think and behave like men. A better approach would be to allow the development of feminine approaches to the study of these fields. Suggestions on how to develop such approaches to learning that were gleaned from the experiences of girls' schools are presented.

This article considers 3 claims that cognitive sex differences account for the differential representation of men and women in high-level careers in mathematics and science: (a) males are more focused on objects from the beginning of life and therefore are predisposed to better learning about mechanical systems; (b) males have a profile of spatial and numerical abilities producing greater aptitude for mathematics; and (c) males are more variable in their cognitive abilities and therefore predominate at the upper reaches of mathematical talent. Research on cognitive development in human infants, preschool children, and students at all levels fails to support these claims. Instead, it provides evidence that mathematical and scientific reasoning develop from a set of biologically based cognitive capacities that males and females share. These capacities lead men and women to develop equal talent for mathematics and science.