Gender Factor in Mathematics Performance Among Senior Secondary School Students
CHAPTER ONE
Purpose
To find out the impact of gender factor on students academic performances, in secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State, Ikono LGA.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Academic performance of boys and girls
An examination of gender factor in mathematics performances in Arts or sciences reveals controversial results. Although researchers begin to show interest in the problem at the beginning of the 20th century, it is surprising that the results are inconsistent, even to this day. Some researchers attribute the differences to methodological flaws, while others mention conditions that favour academic performance of boys and girls such as an aversion of girls towards physical sciences and this could be responsible for the observed performance variations between the two groups. Iroegbu (2000), who studied secondary school science, found that boys performed significantly better than girls do and posited that there are things in learning process, which affect the understanding of girls and boys differently.
Maccoby & Jack line, (1974) found that many studies have traditionally, shown that boys mathematics achievement is superior to that of girls. Although his study is dated, the current study updates his findings by examining if such a view still holds some water today. Jegede and Inyang (1990) in their study discovered that male students tend to score higher marks than females do in integrated science at the junior secondary school level.
A digwe (1993) in a research that investigated gender factor in chemical problem solving among Nigeria secondary school chemistry students, male students scored higher than their female counterparts did.
Tsado (1987), gipps (1994), O’ connor (2001) concluded that as boys and girls grow up the differences they have in achievement in other subject diminish except in mathematics.
Helena holmlund & krister sund, (2006), girls perform increasingly better than boys in school. While it is well known that girls score significantly higher than boys on for example reading tests, there is now increasing evidence that the gender gap in school performance is closing in math and science, subjects thought of as being dominated by boys.
Czerniak & chiarelott, 1984; kahle, 1983; schibeci & riley, 1986 in their studies agreed that male students in the united states of America exhibited more positive attitudes and enthusiasm toward science as a subject than do females. Others Studies in the last decade by Harms, Byre, & Yager, (1979) Hosfein & Welch (1984) have shown that students maintain a poor attitude toward science, with that attitude declining from the junior to senior high school. Archer and mc Donald (1991) in their study of the subjects liked or disliked, chosen or not chosen by girls as well as subjects girls were supposed or not supposed to do, indicated that the most disliked subjects was mathematical followed by sciences.
Betz (1994) unlike other scholars found that girls perform much better than boys in many school subjects including mathematics, sciences and engineering. Scrimgeour (1993) in his study evaluated boys and girls on seven different areas; lesson core, class administration, questions asked of, questions asked by, tasks allocated to, discipline of, and other transactions. He concluded that boys scored higher on all of these levels than girls did, he added that classroom environment was responsible for observed differences among both genders.
The differences between boys and girls in the academic performances
Klausmier Hodwin (1996) noted: differences are not usually found between girls and boys by the widely used intelligence tests. However, girls typically score higher on verbal items and boys on quantities and spatial items in both intelligence and achievement tests. Girls receive higher grades in school than boys, however, after the fifth grade boys score as high as do girls on achievement in both Arts and Science subjects.
Fennema (1987) asserts that recent studies have shown on male superiority in all subjects. All new studies show that any male superiority in mathematics may be related to the way mathematics may be traditionally taught as competitive endeavor rather than a comparative group leaving activity. When basic subject is taught in cooperative small groups, girls do better than boys. Wilberg and Lynn (1999) in a study of history classes and history tests found that girls outperform boys because they tend to work more conscientiously and word fluency, which contribute to better course work.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The study was a survey research because it dwelled on the collecting opinions of respondents .A cross section design was used a use information was collected from different groups of people. The research study was mainly quantitative but also supplemented with quantitative data. The researcher used a cross section of subjects (people) from different schools and different ranks this included headmaster, director of studies, classroom teachers and students from selected secondary schools.
Sampling procedure
School
In the study area of Akwa Ibom State, Ikono LGA there are many secondary schools. From these many, only five secondary schools were randomly selected. These schools represented a different section including Day and Boarding secondary private and Government aided secondary schools, mixed and single secondary schools. The random technique was used because it avoids biasness and it gives equal opportunity to all schools selected to participate.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DATA ANALYSIS
Background of respondents
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS, DISCUSSIONs, CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Discussion
In this section, results were synthesized, digested and a systematic and concise discussion built, including its implications to the research objectives of the study. Where necessary references made bearing on the recorded responses from the respondents. This section follows research questions as it progresses towards the conclusions.
What is the academic performance of boys and girls?
Overall performance, of boys and girls for the year 2006-2008 internal mock exams show that out of a total of 932 students,20.1% boys and 13.8% girls passed in LGA (i) and (ii) respectively,27.7% boys and 38.4% of girls passing in LGAs (iii) and (iv) respectively. (table 4.2).The implication is that boys performed better than girls did by average performance for the years 20062008.These findings support earlier studies by Iroegbu (2002), who found that boys performed significantly better than girls perform and he further observed that there are elements in learning process, which affects the understanding of girls and boys differently, although he did his study in the sciences.
Recommendations
Basing on the discussions and conclusions made, the following recommendations are made:
- Further training in gender sensitive techniques through workshops should be given to teachers to transform the negative attitudes and behaviors towards girls in classrooms. Workshops should also involve parents on how they can get involved in their daughters education
- Female students should be sensitized on how to manage time while at school, and this is done to eliminate wastage of time.
- Government may come in to help schools by providing them with desks, chairs water lights and books which facilitate learning and teaching in schools.
- Schools administrators’ should improve teachers working conditions by, increasing their numeration and fringe benefits to motivate them for work. They can also be made aware of impact of their actions on girl’s child education.
- Female students should be empowered through counseling and guidance to improve their esteem, persistence levels reading habits and school participation.
Recommendations for further research
The researcher recommended that in future some research could be done in the following areas
- The impact of environment on ones academic performances in secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State.
- The impact of home back ground on academic performances in secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State.
- The impact of classroom streaming on gender factor in mathematics performance in co educational schools?
- Factors the influences academic performance in single sex schools in Akwa Ibom State.
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