Elizabeth Fennema (1928–2021): Architect of Equity in Mathematics Education
Elizabeth Fennema was a transformative figure in mathematics education whose research dismantled long-standing myths regarding gender and mathematical ability. Over a career spanning five decades, she shifted the focus of the field from "why girls can’t do math" to "how the educational environment fails girls," while simultaneously revolutionizing how elementary mathematics is taught through the development of Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI).
1. Biography: Early Life and Academic Trajectory
Elizabeth "Liz" Fennema was born on April 12, 1928, in Winfield, Kansas. Her journey into academia was not linear, reflecting the very societal expectations she would later study.
- Education: She earned her B.A. from Kansas State University in 1950. After a period focusing on teaching and family, she returned to academia, earning her M.A. (1966) and eventually her Ph.D. (1969) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Notably, she completed her doctorate in her early 40s, a time when few women were encouraged to pursue high-level research in quantitative fields.
- Academic Positions: Fennema spent the vast majority of her professional life at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She rose through the ranks to become a Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and was eventually named a Professor Emerita. She also served as a Senior Scientist at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER).
- Career Shift: While her early interest was in general mathematics education, she became a pioneer in the "Gender and Mathematics" movement in the early 1970s, a time when it was widely (and incorrectly) assumed that biological differences accounted for the gap in male and female mathematical achievement.
2. Major Contributions: Theories and Methodologies
Fennema’s work can be divided into two monumental pillars: the study of gender differences and the development of student-centered instructional models.
The Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales
In 1976, alongside Julia Sherman, Fennema developed a set of instruments to measure the affective (emotional/attitudinal) factors influencing math learning. These scales measured:
- Mathematics anxiety
- Confidence in learning mathematics
- Perception of mathematics as a "male domain"
- Attitude toward success in mathematics
These scales proved that the "gender gap" in math was largely a product of social and psychological factors rather than innate cognitive ability.
Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI)
In the 1980s and 90s, Fennema co-developed CGI, a research-based professional development program. CGI shifted the focus from how teachers deliver content to how children think. It encouraged teachers to listen to students' informal mathematical intuition and use that as the basis for instruction. This methodology remains a cornerstone of progressive elementary math education today.
3. Notable Publications
Fennema was a prolific writer whose work bridged the gap between complex statistical research and practical classroom application.
- "Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales: Instruments to Measure Attitudes Toward the Learning of Mathematics by Females and Males" (1976): Published in the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, this remains one of the most cited papers in the field.
- "Mathematics and Gender" (1990): An influential edited volume (with Gilah Leder) that synthesized a decade of research into how classroom environments and teacher expectations influenced the gender gap.
- "Children’s Mathematics: Cognitively Guided Instruction" (1999): Co-authored with Thomas P. Carpenter and others, this book became the "bible" for CGI, helping teachers understand children's natural mathematical developmental trajectories.
4. Awards & Recognition
Fennema’s contributions were recognized by the highest echelons of educational research:
- AERA Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award (2000): The American Educational Research Association's highest honor.
- NCTM Lifetime Achievement Award: Given by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics for her enduring impact on the classroom.
- Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM): She was a fellow and a frequent keynote speaker, recognized for her role in opening STEM pathways for women.
- Honorary Doctorates: She received multiple honorary degrees for her work in social justice and education.
5. Impact & Legacy
Fennema’s legacy is twofold:
- Democratizing STEM: Before Fennema, it was common for educators to believe that girls were "naturally" less capable of high-level spatial and mathematical reasoning. Her research provided the empirical evidence needed to challenge these biases, leading to systemic changes in how girls are encouraged in STEM.
- The "Listening" Teacher: Through CGI, she transformed the role of the elementary teacher. Instead of being a "sage on the stage" who shows students one way to solve a problem, teachers became "researchers" of their own students' minds. Her work proved that even very young children have sophisticated mathematical ideas if given the space to express them.
6. Collaborations
Fennema was a master collaborator, often working at the intersection of psychology and education.
- Julia Sherman: A psychologist with whom Fennema created the Fennema-Sherman Scales. Their partnership was crucial in bringing psychological rigor to educational research.
- Thomas P. Carpenter: Her primary collaborator on CGI at UW-Madison. Together, they conducted longitudinal studies that proved CGI students outperformed those in traditional rote-learning classrooms.
- Megan Loef Franke: A former student and collaborator who helped expand CGI to focus on urban schools and issues of equity for students of color.
7. Lesser-Known Facts
- Late Bloomer: Fennema did not start her PhD until she was nearly 40 years old, proving that significant intellectual contributions can happen at any stage of life.
- A Family of Scholars: She was married to Owen Fennema, a world-renowned food scientist. For decades, they were a "power couple" at the University of Wisconsin, each leading their respective fields.
- Focus on the "Why": Fennema was famously skeptical of "quick fixes." When asked how to get girls to do more math, she didn't suggest easier problems; she suggested changing the culture of the classroom so that girls felt they belonged in the world of logic and numbers.
- The "Madison School": She was instrumental in making the University of Wisconsin-Madison the global epicenter for mathematics education research during the late 20th century, a reputation the institution still holds.
Elizabeth Fennema passed away on January 20, 2021, at the age of 92. Her work continues to influence every classroom where a teacher stops to ask a child,
"How did you get that answer?"and every girl who pursues a career in mathematics without doubting her right to be there.