International Perspectives on Gender and Mathematics Education

A Volume in International Perspectives on Mathematics Education
- Cognition, Equity & Society
Series Editor Bharath Sriraman, The University of Montana and Lyn English, Queensland
University of Technology
Why a book on gender issues in mathematics in the 21st century? Several factors have influenced the
undertaking of this project by the editors. First, an international volume focusing on gender and mathematics
has not appeared since publication of papers emerging from the 1996 International Congress on
Mathematical Education (Keitel, 1998). Surely it was time for an updated look at this critical area of
mathematics education. Second, we have had lively discussion and working groups on gender issues at
conferences of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education [PME] for the past four
years, sessions at which stimulating and ground-breaking research has been discussed by participants from many different countries. Some publication
seemed essential to share this new knowledge emerging from a wider variety of countries and from different cultural perspectives. Third, some western
countries such as Australia and the USA have experienced in recent years a focus on the "boy problem," with an underlying assumption that issues of
females and mathematics have been solved and are no longer worthy of interest. Thus it seemed timely to look more closely at the issue of gender and
mathematics internationally. When the idea for this volume first emerged, invitations were issued to those regularly attending the working and
discussion groups at PME. Potential authors were charged to focus on gender issues in mathematics and were given wide scope to hone in on the issues
that were central to their own research efforts, or were in receipt or in need of close attention in their own national or regional contexts.