It is a very old notion that boys are better in mathematics while girls are better at arts and literature. However, a latest study, which based its results on the mathematics test results of almost 500,000 students in 69 countries, has concluded that girls had equal ability to boys in mathematics.

Due to a long held stereotype that boys are good at mathematics than girls, researchers from America's Villanova University said that girls were having unwanted complex about themselves that they were not good at mathematics.

Since the girls have lack of confidence in their mathematics ability, it is possible that most of them will not choose a career in mathematics-based professions such as engineering, information technology and science.

The American Psychological Association's Psychological Bulletin published the latest research.

Researchers emphasized that there was a need for girls to be encouraged to continue on with mathematics. This is necessary to change the gender imbalance among those professions which relied on mathematics.

The girls were shown female role models who have made successful careers using their mathematics skills.

The data from the respected Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and the Programme for International Student Assessment was carefully analyzed by the researchers.

When the two results were combined, it provided results of 493,495 students between the ages 14-16 from 69 countries.

While TIMSS concentrates on basic math knowledge, the PISA test judges students' ability to use their math skills in the real world.

Following this, Prof Nicole Else-Quest, of Philadelphia's Villanova University declared the belief that boys were better at mathematics than girls as a myth.

She said, "These two tests offered a good sampling of students' math abilities. Stereotypes about female inferiority in mathematics are a distinct contrast to the actual scientific data." An even spread of scores between girls and boys was shown by the results.