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finding your way through the maze R174; or playing chess - absorbing and challenging R220.
Viewing mathematics as a game or a puzzle to be solved has made mathematics learning fun and challenging for many people. Mathematics is
fun when everything works out but remain a challenge R470
or learning mathematics is like playing
a jigsaw puzzle-slow but relaxing- it makes your mind work R389
Interestingly, out of the 10 respondents who expressed their images of mathematics as games or puzzles, nine of them are female and all of them reported liking mathematics. These results
indicate that some female respondents like mathematics because they viewed mathematics as solving puzzles and playing games. How widespread this is, is not known.
4. Myths of mathematics
Consistent with past research studies Cesar, 1995, APU surveys, 1988,1991, Kogelman Warren, 1978, Burton, 1989, Vanayan et al., 1997, there were two myths of mathematics still
commonly shared by the majority of the sample. They are a mathematics is difficult, and b mathematics is only for the clever ones, but one traditional myth that, c mathematics is a
male domain has been challenged and was supported by only 20 of the sample.
5. Possible factors of influence
The results highlighted five main possible factors of influence on an adult’s image of mathematics. Arranging them in the order of decreasing importance that is by frequency of
occurrence, they are:
mathematics learning experiences in school, personalities and teaching styles of mathematics teachers
parental support and motivation mostly father an individual’s own personal interest in mathematics whatever its source, and
peer influence and support.
6. Beliefs about mathematical ability
The majority of the UK sample 95.4 believed that some people are better at mathematics than others. Half of them regarded this mathematical ability as something that is inherited from
parents. The mathematics teacher was perceived as the second most important attributing factor, followed by effort and perseverance. These beliefs about mathematical ability and its
possible contributing factors were similar across gender, age, and occupational groupings.
However, the belief that there are gender differences in mathematical abilities varies significantly between genders, age groups and occupational groupings. The male respondents
tend more to believe that men are better in mathematics even though this a minority view but the female respondents tend to believe that both men and women are equally good at
mathematics. In terms of age groupings, the youth and the older age groups had the lowest level of belief that both men and women are equally good at mathematics. Significant
The Philosophy of Mathematics Education Journal, Number 11, March 1999
53 variations among the occupational groupings suggest that careers might have impact on
people’s belief about gender differences in mathematical ability. The teachers were the most likely to believe that both genders have equal ability in mathematics although all that we
observed was a correlation. But the professionals and the non-mathematics students were the two dominant groups that held the belief that mathematics is a male domain.
7. Cultural differences
