Gifted Girls and Science: Revisiting the Issues

Abstract

Possible reasons for the underparticipation of gifted girls in science fields are discussed in terms of (a) disparity in cognitive abilities, (b) personality characteristics, (c) attitudes toward science, (d) differences between in-school and out-of-school learning experiences, (e) gender differences in mathematics preparation, and (f) socialization factors. Suggestions for encouraging gifted girls to keep their options open by continuing to pursue advanced coursework in the sciences are given for teachers and counselors who work with them.