Do men teach mathematics better than women? The debate is on. Men dominate the mathematics classrooms in Nigeria, but the reason is not necessarily because they are better, reports JANE CHIJIOKE.
Mathematics is a core subject at both the primary and secondary education levels. It is also one of the ‘O’ Level subjects students must pass to gain admission into tertiary institutions. It is seen as the bedrock of scientific development of any nation.
However, it is one subject many students fear – more girls than boys. And it is one in which boys perform better than girls. A study by Adeneye Olarewaju Adeleye Awofala of the Department of Science and Technology Education, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos, published in the International Journal of Mathematics Trends and Technology (Volume 2 Issue 3- 2011) it was found that the results of Senior Secondary 3 (SS3) boys in mock examination conducted over a period of 10 years were better than those of SS3 girls regardless of the school or location.
It then raises the question: Are men more effective mathematics teachers than women? Many students interviewed by The Nation had mixed reactions about the effectiveness of their male than female teachers.
Female teachers – learners’ experience
Some secondary school pupils said they had bad experiences with female mathematics teachers. One of them, Kelechi Monday, an SS2 pupil of Ajao Estate Grammar School, does not like mathematics. One of his mathematics teachers, he said, made it more complicated for him.
“I have never been a fan of Mathematics. I don’t like the lengthy calculations. Worst of all, one of my Mathematics teachers in school is not making it easier for me. She is always fond of insulting and making mockery of us in class. At times, when we try to ask questions, she will give a scornful facial expression like what do you know that you are asking? This attitude of hers has restrained most of us from asking questions just to avoid her insults and mockery,” he said.
For Busola Adewole, a science student of Surulere Girls School, the subject is a burden coupled with her teacher’s inability to teach the subject. Displaying her poor grade in a math test, she sighed and said she is hopes she could do better if encouraged. “But my math teacher is not helping out. She teaches as if she doesn’t even know the subject and can hardly pass it across and when you ask questions it’s more like you are bugging her life,”she said.
Corroborating her, Faith Onwu, her friend in Art class said: “Whenever she comes to class, the feeling is more like we can’t just wait for her time to end because in truth, most of us don’t understand what she teaches.”
Recalling her secondary school days, another pupils, Osas Bello, said things went wrong for her in Mathematics when her mathematics teacher was replaced with a woman.
“She would come to class, write on the board, say some things we don’t understand and after a while ask us “do you understand?” If anyone is bold enough to tell her no, she would harass the person, saying ‘what don’t you understand? We stopped asking questions. It did not help that we were Art students, who do not like Mathematics. But we learnt that in the Science Class next to ours, the girls used to teach her; they would go boldly to the board to work out sums as they understood it not as she taught them,” Osas said.
However, there are some pupils, who love their female mathematics teachers, arguing that they are better and more patient.
One of them, Chidinma Steven of Central High School, Okota said: “My female Mathematics teacher teaches well. She makes sure we understand what she teaches and she answers our questions if we are not clear.”
Daniel Gbenga, an SS1 pupil of Ansarudeen Comprehensive College, Okota, said her female mathematics teacher teaches well. “We don’t have issues at all with her class,”he said.
Blessing Pekis, who is the second best pupil in SS2 at Abundant Life School, Ikotun, also supports female mathematics teacher. She said: “We used to have a female teacher, but not anymore. She was good and her class was always interesting and lively. I love Mathematics. My score has been awesome from my junior classes.”
Game of numbers: More men teach mathematics
While there is no evidence that male teachers are better than their female counterparts in teaching mathematics, The Nation found out that there are more male teachers of mathematics than female.
In the teachers’ game of 2017 Cowbellpedia TV Maths Quiz competition, majority of the mathematics teachers, who accompanied the finalists for the quiz show were men. In the teachers’ quiz, only two of the six teachers, who competed were women. One of them finally emerged second runner up in the competition.
Chairman of Ambassadors College, Ota, Mr Samson Osewa, said of the 24 Mathematics teachers employed by his school, only three were women.
“We now have 24 mathematics teachers. But only three are women. One teaches in the junior school, and two in the senior school,” he said.
Theophilus Egba, a teacher at Hopeful Private School, Ejigbo, said there are more men teaching mathematics because of perceived difficulty of the subject by women.
“Why we do not have more female mathematics teachers are because, some of them do not want to stress themselves. They already see it as being difficult. I could remember my days in school; the number of female students in my statistics class was even below a quarter of the population of boys,”he said.
Dr Adesanmi Mogbademu, a Phd holder in Mathematics Analysis from UNILAG said there would be many more women teachers of mathematics if those who studied Mathematics without additional education qualifications were allowed to teach.
“Those who studied Math Science are restricted from the classroom. Whereas most of them have in-depth knowledge of the subject, but there is a barrier in certificate. Because it is not education Mathematics they cannot be employed. They have more content of the subject and are trainable in terms of class management and methodology,” he said.
School managers and gender bias
Some proprietors also told The Nation they were more disposed to hiring male mathematics teachers than their female counterparts.
A Principal, who identified himself as Kingsley said male maths teachers are better to teach SS3 class the subject.
“SS3 class is critical. What the pupils have learnt so far in the school is seen in their WASSCE results. So, much emphasis is placed on it. If a married woman is competent but her family matters meddle with her competency that I cannot tolerate. I would rather employ a competent male to take up Mathematics for that class than employ a competent woman,”he said.
He continued: “It is not that one is in any way being biased. Nature has placed the male to be less occupied with family matters. A woman has to take care of her home before coming to work, even at work, her mind is still at home, maybe thinking of what her family will eat or maybe leaving the children in the hands of house help. A woman does not have much time to concentrate on research and improve herself in a calculative subject like Maths. It is a good thing she pays more attention to family, but then my pupils, my school is also at stake. So, how do we resolve that?”
Head Teacher at Cardinal Private School, Isheri, Lagos, Mr Samuel Kyei, said the school also prefers men to teach Mathematics to the terminal classes.
“For the Common Entrance class basically we prefer male. Currently we have two male Mathematics Teachers for that class. If you look at schools that have male teachers as mathematics teachers they excel because male can be punctual. As early as 7a.m. the teachers are already available, but the females find it difficult to resume as early as that. About three years ago we had one female math teacher, who was very good at what she was doing but the challenge was her child and other household issues. She was not punctual so that put her off. When you talk of the common entrance class, we prefer a male Mathematics teacher to female,”he said.
Though his school has over 88 per cent of men as maths teachers, Osewa said the Ambassadors College has no policy to favour men over women in employment. Like other proprietors, he said men have more time than women for the job.
“We don’t have a gender preference in our school. Anybody, who knows mathematics, we take. There was a time a woman was the Head of Department of Mathematics. I think the reason we have more men is that for women, the ability to take on extra lessons is more difficult. Women have to take care of their children and homes. Men have more time on their hands to teach Maths. Maths needs plenty of work,” he said.
However, in terms of performance of male and female students in his school, Osewa said they were at par. “Girls perform well in maths in my school. In some classes we have girls lead; in other classes, we have boys,” he said.
Some other school managers would not agree that women are not effective mathematics teachers.
Ansarudeen Girls High School Head of Department, Mrs Mariam Raji-Akindele, said women mathematics teachers are available and doing well. She said marriage has not affected their productivity
“My school is a case study. We have two Mathematics female teachers. One of them has been with us for almost four years and she has produced pupils with distinctions in the subjects.
“One of our Math teachers even comes on Saturday sometimes. She is very hard working; a nursing mother of twins. Any pupil she feels is not doing well, she will sacrifice extra time to teach that pupil. She read Mathematics and Statistics. Our math record has been fantastic.
“An alumnus of ours graduated with first class in Mathematics and now an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH). It all depends on the individual,” she said.
Way forward
To encourage more female participation in teaching Mathematics, principal of Kole Best International School, Oshodi, Mr Bankole Olalekan, called for scholarships from the government and other sources.
“Scholarship from the government and Non-Governmental Organisations would boost interest as well as reorientate the subject,” he said.
