A New Study Reveals Parents Spend More Time on Math Activities with Boys

Despite growing awareness of the lack of gender equality in STEM, a new study suggests that parents engage more frequently in math activities with young boys than girls—even though the parents think math is equally important for girls.

The Study’s Findings

Published in Developmental Psychology, the study surveyed 929 parents of children aged one to six, asking them about the frequency of math-related activities they do with their kids and their perceptions of math’s importance for their children. Interestingly, while parents expressed gender-equal attitudes toward the importance of math for their sons and daughters, their reported actions at home told a different story.

Boys Receive More Math-Based Activities

The study found that parents completed more math-based activities with their sons. More specifically, parents were significantly more likely to engage in number-based activities like counting and identifying numbers with six-year-old boys than girls. Similarly, five- and six-year-old boys received more hands-on experiences with measurement, such as using rulers or measuring ingredients. However, when it came to spatial-geometric play, like building with LEGOs, no gender differences were observed.

The Impact on Gender Disparities

These findings matter because gender disparities in math persist well beyond childhood. For example, boys continue to outperform girls on the math portion of the SAT exam. Data from 2023 shows that for every 100 girls who scored between 680 and 800 in the math section, there were 156 boys. This gap influences college admissions and has long-term consequences for career trajectories.

The Role of Gender in STEM Careers

Gender differences emerge in high-paying, math-intensive careers. For example, women earn less than a third of engineering degrees, and according to a 2024 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 17.2% of architecture and engineering jobs are held by women. The representation of women mathematicians is so low that the same report states the data is insufficient to calculate a meaningful percentage.

Nature versus Nurture: The Debate Continues

A lengthy debate has ensued about whether these math differences stem from nature or nurture. That is, whether boys are born with more skill, aptitude, or interest in math-related subjects (nature) or if boys develop these skills and interests because they are treated differently than girls throughout their lives (nurture).

The Study’s Contribution to the Debate

The current study provides evidence that girls and boys receive differential treatment at home, which could lead to differences in math interest and ability. Previous research studies have found that teachers have gendered expectations about who will excel in math, which may lead them to treat boys differently as well.

Conclusion

By the time children reach five or six, they are already navigating school environments shaped by teachers, peer dynamics, and gendered social norms. At this point, it becomes nearly impossible to separate innate interests from those which develop from their interactions. While the study doesn’t settle the long-standing nature versus nurture debate, it highlights a critical reality: parents are engaging with their sons and daughters differently when it comes to math. If parents truly believe that math is just as important for their daughters as it is for their sons, as indicated by the results of this study, they must ensure their daughters receive equal time and opportunities to develop these skills.

FAQs

• • What is the study’s main finding?

The study found that parents complete more math-based activities with their sons than daughters.

• • What are the long-term consequences of gender disparities in math?

Gender disparities in math lead to differences in college admissions and have long-term consequences for career trajectories.

• • What is the nature versus nurture debate?

The debate is about whether math differences stem from innate ability or if they develop from the way children are treated differently throughout their lives.

• • What is the study’s contribution to the debate?

The study provides evidence that girls and boys receive differential treatment at home, which could lead to differences in math interest and ability.