Teacher's attitude makes a difference

It has finally been researched. A teacher's attitude does make a difference. On Monday, a new study from the University of Chicago found that math anxiety among female Grade 1 and 2 teachers may hinder girls more than boys.
In Ontario, more 90 per cent teachers in those grades are women.
The researchers studied a relatively small group: 17 female teachers and 117 students-65 girls and 52 boys-for a year. They noted when school started, the children's ability at math was not related to their teachers' attitudes, says lead researcher Sian Beilock, associate professor psychology.
However by year-end ,the more anxious teachers were about math, the more likely girls were to believe that "boys are good at math and girls are good at reading," Bielock adds. Boys showed no signs of being influences.
Girls who believed that performed worse at math than girls who didn't, and worse than the boys.
Beilock says teacher angst was manifested in subtle ways such as spending less time on math or being less enthusiastic about it.
While some Ontario educators agree with the importance of attitude, they had doubts about the findings related to gender.
A teacher's attitude affects what part of the curriculum they focus on, the resource they choose and the way they instruct. And it's critical in the primary years when kids are laying the foundation.
Earlier this month, a major study by the American Psychological Association that looked at almost half a million students in 69 countries debunked the myth that there is a gender gap in math ability. But it also found that in countries where men and women are perceived as equal including Canada, girls perform better in math.
Interesting that math is the focus of a study. I wonder about other subjects and teacher influence. Perhaps, it would be a good idea to have specialists already in younger grades to avoid this problem.