Gender Gaps in University Mathematics Education:
enrollment Analysis 2011–2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61454/jzxb2q44Keywords:
women, gender gap, enrollmentAbstract
This article presents a statistical analysis of student enrollment by sex in two university programs of the Faculty of Natural, Exact, and Technological Sciences at the University of Panama: the Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and the Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics Education, covering the period from 2011 to 2023. Descriptive indicators such as sex proportions, femininity ratio, absolute gap, and relative gap were used to examine the evolution of male and female participation in both programs. The results show that the Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics Education exhibits a sustained increase in female enrollment and a progressive approach toward parity by 2023. In contrast, the Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics maintains a persistent male overrepresentation throughout the period, with stable gaps and no clear signs of convergence. Although total enrollment fluctuates over time, gender inequality patterns differ substantially between the two programs. Finally, the institutional implications of these findings are discussed, and lines of action are proposed to strengthen gender equality policies in university-level mathematics education.
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