An Investigative Study on the Effect of Gender Differences on the Academic Performance of Chemistry Students in Secondary Schools
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertained the difference in effect of learning activities between male and female student’s achievement in Chemistry.
- To determine the interaction effect between methods and gender on students’ achievement in Chemistry.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
Women’s struggle to participate fully in most education systems has had along and often bitter history. Women are under represented in science compared to other subjects (Kelly, 1981). The difference in representation of males and females in the scientific community is linked to achievement patterns at secondary school level. In addition, girls generally underachieve in Mathematics and Sciences as compared to boys (Comber and Keeves, 1973; Kelly, 1978). This review is structured according to those components, which as will be shown, are believed to contribute in one way or another to the manifestation of gender differences in science (chemistry) achievement among students.
Factors, which influence the learning of science (chemistry)
The following factors influence the learning of science (chemistry) in both boys and girls:
Spatial ability and performance in science
The most promising intellectual factor that has influence and may partially explain the male’s superior performance in science and mathematics is spatial ability. Spatial ability continues to be the intellectual area in which the strongest and most consistent significant sex differences are found (Haertel et al, 1981). However, the differences are small and many times, variation among girls or boys is greater than the variation between sexes. Though small, there is consensus that there is male superiority in performance on such tasks. According to research, there is a strong relationship between visual-spatial ability and success in science. According to Kelly (1978), when 3-dimentional models were used in teaching general chemistry, final grades improved. Levy and Levy (1978) report that visualization and spatial orientation skills are significantly correlated with final grades in engineering courses since sex-related differences in spatial ability favor boys, this factor gives males and advantage in the study of science, especially in the physical sciences. Girls showed weakness across the framework on questions featuring spatial related ability. Such questions included rotational motion, angles, 2 or 3 – dimensional reproduction or interpretation and graphical skills.
Mathematics as a factor in science performance
Maccoby and Jacklin, (1974); Eshiwani, (1984) show no significant sex difference in mathematical ability up to adolescence (13 – 14 yrs), afterwards, males out perform females on nearly all tasks related to mathematical ability. This is attributed to differences in cultural pressures (Fennema and Sherman, 1978), whose one of its manifestations is math’s anxiety, which leads to females’ avoidance of mathematics courses. Hence they avoid courses that entail the use of mathematics for example chemistry and physics. According to the first and second mathematics studies, gender differences were found to be mainly in favor of boys at all age levels (Husen, 1967; Kotte, 1992). Mathematical ability is highly related to science achievement (Fleming and Malone, 1983; Kotte, 1992). Mathematics is therefore a factor in the learning of science as most topics entail the use of mathematics. They include the mole concept; electrochemistry, reaction rates and radioactivity just to name a few.
Motivational Orientations Sex differences in science performance vary with age levels.
The greatest difference is at adolescent age level, which has been explained in part by pre-adolescent boys’ attempts to enhance their manliness by achieving in science. It is worth of note that this pattern in sex differences in achievement with respect to age level is paralleled by the motivational orientation of boys and girls. Sex differences in attitudes, aspirations and other motivational orientations towards science are large in some subject areas than others. Females have more positive attitudinal orientation towards biological sciences while male towards the physical sciences (Comber and Keeves, 1973; Keeves and Kotte, 1991; Postelthwaite and Wiley, 1991; Kotte, 1992). Girls have a positive orientation towards biology because it requires less of Math’s and spatial ability. Biology also deals with life’s processes, which are related to maternal role, thus biological knowledge is often perceived by females as inevitable in the fulfillment of their motherhood duties. Biology also revolves around the verbal propensities of girls and thus serves as a vehicle for girls increasing interest. Males’ positive orientation towards physical sciences has been attributed to the “out of school learning”.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to investigative study on the effect of gender difference on academic performance of chemistry student in secondary school. Selected secondary schools Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State forms the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain the effect of gender difference on academic performance of chemistry in secondary school. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of the effect of gender difference on academic performance of chemistry in secondary school
Summary
This study was on the effect of gender difference on academic performance of chemistry in secondary school. Two objectives were raised which included; To ascertained the difference in effect of learning activities between male and female student’s achievement in Chemistry and to determine the interaction effect between methods and gender on students’ achievement in Chemistry. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected secondary school in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
Fewer male students and majority of female students are plagued by the phobia of studying chemistry due to brain tasking, learning formulas by heart, inability to score pass marks due to incorrect formulae in calculations. Psychological factors, teachers’ teaching strategies, parental influence, and peer group pressure were found to be factors that influenced students’ perceptions of chemistry. Male students showed greater positive attitude toward studying chemistry.
Recommendation
Since there is a positive relationship between gender and achievement in chemistry, steps should be taken to prevent achievement differences in chemistry as well as gender differences from being established at an early stage within the process of formal schooling. As was shown, gender differences in chemistry achievement apparently ‘increase’ during schooling, meaning that measures need to be taken as early as possible, probably already in primary education, which aim at the suppression of factors known to lead to the establishment of gender differences in chemistry achievement. It would be desirable to implement strategies in the curriculum as well as in the pre-and service training, which would help to reduce gender differences. Educational planners, however should note that it would seem legitimate to recommended that students, parents, and teachers be made more aware that although boys and girls apparently held gender- typical attitudes towards chemistry there was no evidence for the assumption that boys and girls could not achieve equally well in science. Carrying this statement further, it would be unwise to apply different educational measures separately to boys and girls in school hoping to reduce gender differences. Even if boys were found to hold more positive attitudes towards chemistry, this does not necessary mean that it would be wise to develop female- specific strategies aimed at stimulating the girls’ attitudes towards chemistry or teaching girls separately from boys.
References
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