On the Math Experiences of Trans-Spectrum University Students

Abstract

More than eighty years of literature support the idea that math attitudes differ by gender. Males tend to persist more, have less math anxiety, more math confidence, and are more likely to consider math as more useful than their female counterparts. However, this research treats gender as a simple and dichotomous variable, which it is not. Hence, our understandings of math attitudes are completely dominated by a cisgender narrative and a false gender binary. As such, it is not clear what may be missing from the literature. In particular, I argue that it is important to research the lived experiences in the math classroom, the math attitudes expressed, and the sense of belonging felt by students with a non-normative gender identity. Utilizing a queer theoretical lens, this study has employed a narrative methodology to analyze the semi-structured interviews of six participants who identify as trans-spectrum university students. Overall, the participants exhibited generally positive math attitudes and indicated that while mathematics as a discipline is not gender specific, they face discrimination and microaggression around mathematics that help create a chilly atmosphere, narrating their sense of belonging in terms of proximity to mathematics. Similarly, the participants faced stressors and pressures outside of and unrelated to mathematics that they brought into the classroom. Collectively, the participants all presented a story that highlights the absurdity of particular social norms. Queer theoretical and practical implications are discussed, as well as trajectories for future research.