Encouraging young women to stay in the mathematics pipeline: Mathematics camps for young women

School Science and Mathematics, Oct 2003 by Chacon, Paul, Soto-Johnson, Hortensia

Daily journal entries were required during the camp. The participants responded to a writing prompt asking them to discuss what was the most fun, exhausting, boring, challenging, frustrating, easy, exciting, rewarding, and interesting thing that happened that day. The faculty read each journal and returned comments on its entries daily.

A one-tailed paired t-test with a = .05 was used to compare the post and pre attitude surveys. Table 5 provides a statistical summary of each of the five categories addressed in the attitude survey. The mean difference represents the average score on the post attitude survey minus the average score on the pre attitude survey. There were statistically significant differences between students' initial and final beliefs about the importance of persistence and group work. There were also statistically significant differences between the students' initial and final confidence in their mathematical ability. There were no statistically significant increases between the pre and post attitude survey in the students' attitude toward gender and conceptual understanding versus computational skills.

The journal entries supported the attitude survey. We have selected comments from the journals of two students from each camp whose entries represented the participants' range of attitudes. The following comments were typical of entries in journals early in the camps:

I felt a little overwhelmed by the amount of homework given to us today. I realize that we have to practice our new skills if we want to master them, but it was hard to finish all the other activities and have time left over to do quality work. (Student A, Camp 1999)

I feel like I don't belong in this camp, because I don't understand. But after I get help from my team, the teachers, and the counselor I start to understand. Then we move on to something else, and I am all confused again. (Student B. Camp 1999)

The mathematics we were doing is too hard for me to do by myself. (Student C, Camp 2000)

The mathematics was terrific, but I doubt I did good at all. (Student D, Camp 2000)

These comments indicate their initial frustration and lack of confidence. The frustration seemed to die down during the week, and their confidence increased:

"Today's workload was much easier to handle." (Student A)

"I'm really starting to understand what we are going over." (Student B)

"The princess problem is going to drive me crazy till I figure it out. I think I may have it though." (Student C)

"It seems that my brain is finally warmed up and ready to handle the workload." (Student D)

Once they fell into the rhythm of the camp and adjusted to the workload, their comments became uniformly more positive. In addition there was a growing awareness that time spent on the tasks was producing (and would continue to produce) results.

By the end of the camp we received comments like the following:

"I really appreciate everything you have done for us this week (even assigning the homework because I know the practice helped)." (Student A)