CURRICULUM & TEACHING STUDIES | RESEARCH ARTICLE Participation of rural Zimbabwean female students in mathematics: The influence of perception

2 Abstract: The study was premised on the influence of perceptions on the participa- tion of Ordinary Level rural African Zimbabwean female students in mathematics. Qualitative research design grounded in the interpretive paradigm was employed. Eighteen Ordinary Level female students and six teachers purposively selected from three rural co-educational secondary schools participated in the study. Data were generated through lesson observations and semi-structured question type inter- view guide. Findings revealed that rural female students perceived mathematics as a difficult subject, masculine and irrelevant to their future aspirations. Participants outlined that their perceptions were rooted in the prevailing cultural belief that mathematics is a masculine subject and negative stereotypes about girls' maths abilities. Further findings indicate that female students' participation in mathemat- ics was highly influenced by their perception towards the subject. These percep- tions result in the development of a general negative attitude to the subject that caused fewer female students to participate in mathematics in large numbers. We recommended parents and teachers to work hard to eliminate the negative gender and cultural stereotypes in order to enhance female students' confidence in math- ematics abilities. Schools should employ female mathematics teachers and ex- pose female students to female role models who have succeeded in life in order to encourage more participation of female students in mathematics. Schools are made