Weaving Gender Equity

The following is a list of research articles and books related to parents:

Campbell, Patricia. (1992). Math, Science, and Your Daughter: What Parents Can Do. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Education. To order call: 1-800-225-3088.: This pamphlet helps parents encourage their daughters in math and science by offering practical tips and suggestions. Some of the suggestions that the author offers include helping to reduce stereotypes, making math and science fun, demonstrating the relevance of math and science in everyday life, and encouraging daughters.
Carr, Martha, Donna Jessup, and Diana Fuller. (1999). "Gender Differences in First-Grade Strategy Use: Parent and Teacher Contributions." Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, Vol. 30 (No. 1), 20-46.: This study indicated that boys in the first grade benefited from teachers' strategy instruction, whereas girls did not benefit and were in fact hurt by it. Girls were not influenced by parental instruction in overt strategy use (e.g. counting on fingers and counters), but did improve their use of covert strategies (e.g. invented algorithms) when instructed by a parent to utilize such strategies.
Eccles, Jacquelynne, Janis Jacobs, and Rena Harold. (1990). "Gender Roles Stereotypes, Expectancy Effects, and Parents' Socialization of Gender Differences." Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 46, 183-201.: In studying parents' gender stereotypes and attitudes, researchers found that mothers attributed the success of boys in mathematics to natural talent whereas they viewed girls' success as related to effort. In a separate study to determine if mothers thought boys or girls were more naturally talented in mathematics, the researchers discovered no differences in the mothers' perceptions of their children's abilities. However, the mothers did believe that males were more naturally talented in mathematics than females.
Kohn, Alfie. (1998). "Only for My Kid: How Privileged Parents Undermine School Reform." Phi Beta Kappan, Vol. 79 (No. 8), 569-577.: Kohn explores the attitudes regarding school reform among financially privileged parents. He posits that these parents' desire for their children to be the best motivates them to resist school reform and its goal of improving education for all children through detracking, cooperative learning, the elimination of grades and other measures.
Lareau, Anette. (1992). "Gender Differences in Parent Involvement in Schooling." in Julia Wrigley (Ed.), Education and Gender Equality. Washington, D.C.: The Falmer Press.: In this study, mothers in both working- and upper-middle-class families were more involved in their children's education than fathers. Mothers more than fathers deferred to the authority of the teacher; this was especially true for working-class parents. Upper-middle-class parents attended more in-school activities such as Open House and parent-teacher conference than did families with fewer economic resources. Owing to doubts about their own educational knowledge, working-class parents tended to not help their children with homework as much and to turn over responsibility to the school more than upper-middle-class parents. No differences were found between the two groups with regards to the value or their children of education.
The National Coalition of Girls' Schools. Raising Confident, Competent Daughters: Strategies for Parents. Concord, MA: Author. To order call: 978-287-4485.: A collection of powerful and practical suggestions for parents on how to raise happy, successful daughters. Written by five girls' school heads.
Tocci, Cynthia M. and George Engelhard, Jr. (1991). "Achievement, Parental Support, and Gender Differences in Attitudes Toward Mathematics." Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 84 (No. 5), 280-286.: This study of 13 year-olds in the United States and Thailand demonstrated a correlation between parental support and students' attitudes towards mathematics. As levels of perceived parental support increased for students, their attitudes that math was useful, that it was not simply a male domain, and that they were capable mathematical learners all increased, while students' anxiety levels decreased. There was no significant interaction effect between gender and parental support for students in the U.S. (though one was found for students in Thailand).
Updegraff , Kimberly, Susan McHale, and Ann Crouter. (1996). "Gender Roles in Marriage: What Do They Mean for Girls' and Boys' School Achievement?" Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 25 (No. 1), 73-88.: Findings from this study show that girls from egalitarian families (defined as families where the father was more involved in childcare than in more traditional homes) maintained a high level of academic achievement during the transition to seventh grade, whereas girls from families with more traditional gender roles declined in math and science performance over this period.