Unraveling Factors for Gender Discrepancies in Students’ Mathematics Performance in Tanzanian Secondary Schools

Abstract

This study investigated the factors leading to gender discrepancies in
students’ Mathematics performance and how they could be addressed.
Data were collected from 762 Form Four students sampled from 83 public
secondary schools in Tanzania and analyzed using descriptive statistics,
latent mean analyses and thematic analysis techniques. Quantitative
results indicated that students evaluated their Mathematics teachers’
instructional practices positively across gender. Qualitative results
showed that students had gendered perceptions toward Mathematics
and perceived it as a masculine subject. Further, findings unveiled that
students’ masculine orientation toward Mathematics was partly attributed
to a biased distribution of domestic chores, social persuasions about girls’
ability in Mathematics and restrictive parenting of girls. Also, the findings
indicated that gender discrepancies in Mathematics performance could be
addressed by providing gender education to teachers and parents, availing
adequate learning resources and creating supportive home learning
environments for girls. Based on the findings, practical and theoretical
implications are drawn.
Keywords: gender discrepancies, mathematics performance, secondary
schools, students