Abstract
In many countries, including Norway and England, there is a concern about the low number of students continuing with post-compulsory mathematics, and especially the low number of girls. Drawing on socio-cultural perspectives on the construction of identity, this paper explores the role of cultural models in choosing post-compulsory mathematics in the context of contrasts between Norwegian and English education systems, practices and policies. Specifically, we seek to interrogate the extent to which a Norwegian public discourse of egalitarianism, particularly gender equity, impacts on girls’ and boys’ accounts of choosing mathematics. We conclude that there are more similarities than differences between the two countries, and note the potential impact of neo-liberal discourses in eroding Norwegian equity discourses.
