Education

The effect of language on performance: do gendered languages fail women in maths?

T. Krichli-katz and T. Regev

This groundbreaking research by Tamar Krichli-Katz and Tali Regev uncovers how the way we address women in gendered languages can significantly impact their performance in mathematics. The study reveals that addressing women in feminine terms can reduce the gender gap in math scores, highlighting the powerful role language plays in shaping educational outcomes.

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Abstract

This research explores the relationship between gendered languages and the gender gap in mathematics achievement. An experiment on a large sample of Hebrew speakers in Israel demonstrated that addressing women in the feminine, versus the masculine, reduced the gender gap in math scores by a third. This effect was stronger among native speakers, suggesting language proficiency influences sensitivity to gendered address. Addressing women in the masculine decreased their effort and increased feelings that "science is for men."

Publisher

npj Science of Learning

Published On

Apr 06, 2021

Authors

Tamar Krichli-Katz, Tali Regev

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-021-00087-7

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