According to the National Curriculum Framework, 2005, classroom researches…
2023
According to the National Curriculum Framework, 2005, classroom researches have indicated a fairly systematic devaluation of girls as incapable of mastering mathematics even when they perform well in mathematics.
What is the most appropriate reason for this ?
- A.
Poor performance of girls in mathematics is due to the fear of mathematics prevalent in them.
- B.
Mathematics, by its nature, is a male-dominated subject.
- C.
Gendered constructs of society have led to the belief that boys use more innovative strategies for problem-solving and thus have better conceptual understanding.
- D.
The mathematical abilities in boys are innate.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
NCF 2005 treats gender as a social construct: differences in how much a subject-related ability is perceived and valued arise from societal stereotypes and unequal social expectations, not from any real difference in innate capability between girls and boys.
Applying this to the passage: classroom research finds that girls who genuinely perform well in mathematics are still devalued as ‘incapable of mastering’ the subject. NCF 2005 attributes this gap between actual performance and perceived competence to a gendered social belief — the idea that boys use more innovative problem-solving strategies and therefore possess stronger conceptual understanding. It is this belief about method and understanding, not girls' real performance, that drives the devaluation described in the passage.
Checking the remaining options against the passage's own framing:
A claim that girls fear mathematics and so perform poorly cannot explain the passage, since the passage explicitly states the girls perform well in mathematics.
A claim that mathematics is by nature a male-dominated subject treats the subject itself as fixed by gender, which is a claim about the subject's nature rather than about how classroom research explains a gap between performance and perception.
A claim that boys' mathematical ability is innate treats the capability itself as a fixed, inborn trait, again a claim about biology rather than about the social belief the passage's devaluation is traced to.
The option that matches NCF 2005's own explanation — a societal, gendered belief that boys use more innovative strategies and so have better conceptual understanding — is therefore the most appropriate reason. This is also the CTET August 2023 Paper 1 official answer key's marked response for this item.