Do girls report more Mathematics Anxiety (MA) than boys and if so, why?

性别不平衡影响了对数学和其他与STEM相关的学习和职业的兴趣，威尔士政府指出，女孩对STEM科目的学习仍然落后于男孩(威尔士政府，2016)。他们增加了重点和资金，以促进女孩继续学习物理和数学的机会平等，并希望通过STEM大使和进一步的数学支持方案等项目，促进对STEM的积极、中性的看法。数学任务和完成小组认识到，许多工作“取决于用数字计算和解释以及识别适当的数学方法的能力(S)”(威尔士政府，2015年，第2页)。因此，如果女孩对数学的不感兴趣导致职业选择减少，可能会导致性别薪酬差距，那么女孩可能会处于不利地位。如果我们不了解女孩在数学方面遇到的障碍，上述举措的成功将面临风险。如果不对女孩对数学不感兴趣(甚至厌恶)的原因进行研究，这些举措可能永远不会完全实现她们的目标。一个可能的潜在问题是数学焦虑(MA)，女孩比男孩报告的更多。研究问题：女孩报告的MA比男孩多吗？如果是，为什么？所有类型的MA都遵循相同的性别模式？MA与对刻板印象的认同有什么关联？哪种类型的MA最能预测数学成绩和兴趣？在什么水平上MA被认为是“高”的？

There is a gender imbalance impacting interest in mathematics and other STEM-related study and careers with Welsh Government stating that girls' uptake of STEM subjects remains behind that of boys (Welsh Government, 2016). They have increased focus and funding to promote equality of opportunity for girls to continue with physics and mathematics in particular and want to promote positive, gender-neutral perceptions of STEM through projects such as STEM Ambassadors and the Further Mathematics Support Programme. The Mathematics Task and Finish Group recognise that many jobs are, "dependent on [the] ability to calculate and interpret numerically and identifyappropriate mathematical method(s)" (Welsh Government, 2015, p.2). Girls may therefore be at a disadvantage if their disinterest in mathematics results in reduced career choices potentially contributing toward the gender pay gap.The success of the above initiatives is at risk if we fail to understand the barriers to mathematics experienced by girls. Without research into the reasons underpinning girls' disinterest in (or even aversion to) mathematics, these initiatives may never fully realise their goals. One such possible underlying issue, reported more by girls than boys, is Mathematics Anxiety (MA).Research Questions:Do girls report more MA than boys and if so, why?Do all types of MA follow the same gender pattern?How is MA associated with subscription to stereotypes?Which type of MA best predicts performance and interest in mathematics?At what level might MA be considered 'high'?