International concern has long focussed on the lack of girls and women engaged in STEM, including mathematics. Yet, it is predominantly women who provide academic support when their children are engaged in mathematics in the home in the form of homework. One reason for the prevailing gender disparity in mathematics participation more widely (a disparity not evident in outcomes or achievement levels) is the gendered nature of the discipline itself (Mendick 2005).  The idea of mathematics as a masculine discipline is well established, with Bench et al. (2015, p.537) highlighting how STEM disciplines, including mathematics, have a “set of masculinized norms and expectations that limit approaches to scientific inquiry”. It is these norms and expectations that create an discursive environment in which those who do not either see their gender reflected or who perceive risk in engaging in particular gendered performances may not feel comfortable and/or valued within the discipline area. Mendick (2005) cautions that this does not mean the academic challenges of mathematics are different for girls, but instead highlights the differences regarding the social expectations and experiences they function within. While people who inhabit feminine subjectivities can, unsurprisingly, engage in masculine performances, they do so under different social expectations than boys and men and hence such activities (i.e. a masculine dominated subject like mathematics) can be less appealing to girls/women (Cheryan et al., 2009; Mendick 2005) or imbued with risk. For example, Mendick (2003) describes boys as engaging in masculine performances when they choose to study mathematics as a means of proving their intelligence. Yet, girls who also engage in masculine performances in relation to mathematics do so with a degree of risk to their feminine identities in the process. Simply put, masculine dominated environments – in terms of stereotypes, social norms and expectations – create an additional barrier for women and girls as they may struggle to identify themselves as being ‘good at mathematics’.

In terms of how feminine subjectivities play a role outside of the mathematics classroom, we are interested in how female caregivers negotiate mathematics, as a masculine-coded discipline, when it comes to supporting their school-aged children with their homework. Schools often rely on the assumption that caregivers “have time to dedicate to their children’s education, contributing to the functioning of the school in ways that are seldom recognized as work” (Griffith & Smith, 2005, 24). The reality of this is that schools rely on mothers to bridge the gap between school and home life, as it is well established that it is mothers who assume the greatest responsibility in children’s education at school and at home (Griffith & Smith, 2005; Lareau, 2000; Reay, 1998; 2004, Vincent, 2017). As a result, mothers place responsibility on themselves for children’s educational performance as well as being held responsible for this by others (Griffith & Smith, 2005; Lightfoot, 2004; Reay, 1998).

Mathematics homework, although taking place in the home, is a practice of school mathematics and as such is shaped by the structures and norms of both the practices and relationships relevant to the classroom context (Kemmis & Grootenboer, 2008). Therefore, the masculine characteristics of mathematics are identified as present within school mathematics contexts. In this paper we share the experiences of mothers with mathematics homework and discuss how their view of themselves as caregivers shapes the ways in which they engage with mathematics as a mothering (feminine) activity rather than mathematical (masculine) one.

The aim of this study was to better understand the female caregivers’ experiences of mathematics homework with children in the middle to upper primary years of schooling. In particular, we were guided by the following research questions: • In what ways do these female caregivers engage with and support their children with their mathematics school and homework? • How confident are the female caregivers in their ability to support their children with the mathematical language and approaches they are using at school? Initial contact was made via social media, where female caregivers whose children are in years 3-6 were invited to share their mathematical experiences (previous schooling and everyday) with the research team. They were also asked about the ways they engage with and support their children with their mathematics schoolwork and homework and their confidence in doing so. The participants were then invited to take part in more in-depth interviews to better understand their experiences. A total of 13 female caregivers engaged in the initial phase. These 13 female caregivers who participated, represented the experiences of working with 1 or 2 of their children who were attending Years 3, 4, 5 or 6 in primary school in Australia, at the time of their involvement. This represented a total of 18 caregiver and child relationships, shared by 12 mothers and one grandmother.

The mothers and grandmother in our study described a range of different personal experiences with mathematics and shared a range of emotional connections to mathematics from love to hate. Additionally, the confidence levels of the participants suggested (not surprisingly) that the majority were more confident in their ability to complete everyday tasks than tasks categorised as school mathematical tasks. The mothers and caregivers who had positive experiences in their own schooling were, unsurprisingly, more likely to have positive feelings and emotions in regard to helping with mathematics homework. This is a significant point as we know from Casad, Hale & Wachs (2015) that same-gender dyads are more likely to create influence, meaning that intergenerational negative experiences are likely to continue. That is, a mother with a positive schooling experience with mathematics is more likely to use positive language about mathematics and be more positive about interactions with school mathematics with their children. This is likely to have a strong positive impact on female children. Conversely, those with negative experiences, are likely to project negative feelings, attitudes and languages about mathematics. Yet, we found that the mothers and caregivers in our study all appeared to view mathematics homework through a lens of caregiving, or as part of the ‘role of the mother’ in helping their child. Viewing their experience with their children’s homework in this way allowed them to engage in mathematics as a feminine performance, and as a result, the negative dispositions they shared about their own experiences with mathematics didn’t hold them back from engaging in the practice of mathematics homework with their children.

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