Going by the findings of a new study led by the University of Chicago psychologist Sian Beilock, the reason why women still lag behind men in terms of mathematical achievements could possibly be the ‘fear of Math’ that female teachers pass on to girls during their elementary schooling years.

The study said that little girls in first or second grades, who were taught by teachers that were anxious about mathematics, often embrace the stereotype that while boys are hard-wired for math, girls perform better in reading.

For the study, the researchers tested the math ability of 117 students - 52 boys and 65 girls - who taught by 17 different teachers; and evaluated their beliefs about math and gender at the start and the end of the school year.

It was found that by spring, at least 20 girls subscribed to the ‘math-is-for-boys’ stereotype; and they were mostly taught by math-anxious teachers. These girls scored an average 102.5 in the test, vis-à-vis the average score of 107.8 for the remaining girls and 107.7 for the boys.

Commenting on the findings, Beilock said: “Teachers who are anxious about their own math abilities are translating some of that to their kids. It's actually surprising in a way, and not. People have had a hunch that teachers could impact the students in this way, but didn't know how it might do so in gender-specific fashion.”