INFLUENCE OF GENDER ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PHYSICS IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Of The Study
Physics knowledge has been discovered to be extremely important in understanding modern technology and the wide range of scientific breakthroughs that are beneficial to humanity. However, research findings on Physics concept understanding and achievement derived from students’ performances (whether oral or written) in solutions to problems in Physics concepts generally show that students do not appear to have a set of logically coherent ideas about Physics concepts. Students not only have a poor understanding of physics concepts, but they are also unable to apply what they have learned in real-world situations. However, there are two key components to children’s difficulty learning Physics: the things to learn (Physics curriculum) and the learners (the group of children to whom the materials is to be taught).
Educational psychology emphasizes anchoring notions that are already formed in students’ cognitive structures and makes recommendations for how learning materials should be presented. Atadoga’s (1997) well-known idea of starting with what the learner already knows is concerned with the processing abilities the learner has available to deal with new materials.
However, evidence suggests that many students approach Physics with reservations about its difficulties, doubts about their own abilities, and uncertainty about the value and significance of Physics in their lives (Orji 2000). He claims that there is a widespread misconception that physics entails a plethora of symbols and calculations. These emotions significantly impede their comprehension of physics principles. For example, Orji (2000) identified learner characteristics that influence physics comprehension. Gender
is one of these issues, and it may be the most important factor contributing to physics education’s poor state, as evidenced by low enrollment and poor performance by physics students.
Two primary concerns drive enrollment and achievement in gender and physics. Gender equality emphasizes the importance of avoiding sexual discrimination in education. Furthermore, there should be a greater interest in and understanding of physics to address the lack of female representation in some scientific and professional fields. Increased female participation may have an effect on science and technology as well. As a result, females in Nigerian secondary schools appear to avoid physics as a subject choice, implying that female representation in scientific and technical fields will be low in the future.
In the long run. Unless and until something is done in the form of research and application of study findings, Nigeria will remain Rivo’s least developed group, with a proportion of female scientists and engineers ranging from 2.5 percent (as in Madagascar) to 9.3 percent (as in Togo).
Curriculum planners and implementers must address gender disparities in science education enrollment (Johnson & Murphy, 1984). As a result, taking gender into account in a study of this nature is critical.
1.2 Problem Description
A thorough review of the literature on gender differences in academic performance revealed that there has yet to be a clear picture on this issue (Atadoga, M.M. 1997, Johnson and Murphy 1984, Nkpa 1997); that gender has a significant contribution to academic performance; and that gender has a significant contribution to academic performance.
Students’ comprehension and achievement in physics concepts.
However, the Nigerian educational system has had many flaws over the years, including students’ poor performance in physics in senior secondary schools. There appears to be a trend in girls’ and boys’ performance in co-educational and single-sexed schools, with girls underperforming boys. Most of the time, girls simply avoid science-related subjects, so many of them prefer English, biology, and other non-calculus-based disciplines. Some argue that students in single-gender schools outperform those in co-educational schools. As a result, the purpose of this research is to look into the impact of gender on students’ academic progress in Physics.
1.3 The Study’s Objectives
The primary goal of this research is to
Investigate the effect of gender on students’ performance in senior secondary school physics. However, the following are the specific objectives:
1. Investigate the impact of gender on secondary school Physics achievement.
2. Investigate the differences in physics performance between male and female students.
3. Examine the physics performance differences between co-educational and single-sex students.
1.4 Hypothesis of Research
An hypothesis is a tentative experimental statement that shows the relationship between two or more variables. It is testable and can be accepted or rejected based on whether or not it agrees or disagrees with the statistical test.
The following hypothesis will be tested in the study:
H01: There is no difference in performance between male and female students.
in physics.
H02: There is no difference in physics performance between co-educational and single-sex students.
1.5 The Study’s Importance
The study sought to ascertain the effect of gender disparities and school type on students’ physics performance. This study’s findings will reveal how gender influences secondary school students’ physics performance. It is also planned to look into the factors that contribute to differences in students’ physics abilities in order to improve them. Similarly, the research will help those involved in curriculum development and administration carry both sexes (male and female) students along, as well as serve as a reference material for counseling of various sexes. Academics, teachers, and students will all benefit from this initiative.
from this research.
1.6 The Study’s Scope
This study focuses on the effect of gender on students’ achievement in secondary school physics, the differences in physics performance between male and female students, and the differences in physics performance between co-educational and single sex students. As a result, this will be limited to secondary schools in Benue State’s Agatu Local Government Area, which include both mixed and single-sex schools.
1.7 Study Restrictions
The researchers had a limited time frame to complete this study, which was the main limitation of this study.
The main challenges encountered during this study were financial constraints and language barriers.
1.8 Terms Definition
Type of School: This is referred to as composition.
of the schools as boys only, girls only, or both (mixed girls and boys).
In Physics, performance refers to the output or product that can be measured. Or how well or poorly a student performs in Physics.
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