Research Symposium

BIO

Hello my name is Victor Manuel Benitez III is a transfer student here at Florida State University. My interest in research are studying different cultures and social aspects of communities. I am a proud Puerto Rican with a rich background and history so I love learning about different cultures and their history. I am from Ocala Florida. Currently I am majoring in International Affairs and hope to pursue my masters once I have completed my bachelors.

Exploring Social and Affective Aspects of Women’s Experience in Mathematics

Abstract

The research aims to explore social and affective aspects of women’s experience in mathematics. This includes the sense of belonging in mathematical environments where women are mostly underrepresented. The participants are women who are majoring in pure mathematics and secondary mathematics teaching. Interviews are used for data collection. Through narrative inquiry, we hope to understand women’s first-hand experience and their perspectives on mathematics departments. Our research findings shed light on potential strategies that women develop for a sense of belonging. Using mathematics students’ experiences, our research is promising to understand the influence of stereotypes on women’s confidence in mathematics, which hinders their participation. Also, our research contributes to the inclusion of women in mathematics, in that they feel more comfortable pursuing a career in mathematics. 

Keywords: mathematics, women’s experience, sense of belonging