Some Girls Face a Tough Math Problem:
Teacher Bias

A recently published study by STEM faculty member Dr. Catherine Riegle-Crumb found that high school math teachers may hold biased perceptions of the math abilities of their white female students. Examining data from a nationally representative sample of high school students and their teachers, Dr. Riegle-Crumb and her co-author Melissa Humphries discovered that teachers are more likely to report that math is just easier for white male students than for white female students, regardless of the fact that the test scores and grades of both groups are comparable. Yet teachers did not view the abilities of their minority students of either gender less favorably than white male students once differences in prior achievement were taken into account. This study was published in the journal Gender & Society in April 2012, and was highlighted in several different media outlets (see links below).

Education News: Math Teachers Show Bias Against White Girls, Report Says

Austin-American Statesman: Study finds possible bias in high school math teachers

MSNBC: Girls face a tough math problem: Teacher bias

Riegle-Crumb and M. Humphries (2012) "Exploring Bias in Math Teachers’ Perceptions of Students’ Ability by Gender and Race/Ethnicity." Gender & Society, 26(2), 290-322.