THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS GENDER AND THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS GENDER AND THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Gender disparities in educational attainment have recently become a major source of concern for educational experts. Boys are less likely to attend college and earn a bachelor’s degree than girls. Meanwhile, female students continue to be underrepresented in fields like engineering and computer science. One popular, if divisive, response to these trends has been a resurrected campaign for single-sex education, which has garnered bipartisan support (Dee, 2006).

According to Dee, regardless of academic subject, men are two to three times more likely than women to be perceived as disruptive, inattentive, and unlikely to complete their assignments (2006). However, how boys and girls perceive academic courses varies greatly across subjects, mirroring gender differences in subject test performance. Girls, for example

are more likely than boys to report being hesitant to ask questions in Mathematics, Science, and Social Sciences. Furthermore, they are less likely to enjoy these sessions and see them as beneficial to their future. Meanwhile, men have more negative attitudes toward English instruction than women.

While boys and girls may exhibit different behaviors and preferences, Dee (2006) stressed that this is not the same as having a unique experience because of the teacher’s gender. Thus, the key question is whether there is evidence that teachers relate better to students of the same gender or vice versa. According to Dee (2006), significant trends can be found in the National Educational Longitudinal Studies (NELS) data survey, which was conducted in the United States.

He discovered that when a female teacher leads a class, boys are perceived as more disruptive, whereas girls are perceived as less disruptive or inattentive. Furthermore, when girls are taught by a man, they are more likely to say they disliked the topic, believe it is irrelevant to their future, or are hesitant to ask questions. The aforementioned scenario, according to Dee, is most pronounced in Scientific, where students claim that female science professors are significantly more effective at encouraging females’ interest in certain fields of study.

Furthermore, when taught by a teacher of the opposite gender, boys have less favorable emotions toward their academic topic. When taught by a female teacher, boys are more likely to say they dislike the subject.

(In other words, you’ve lost interest in the subject or find it less interesting).

Furthermore, gender distinctions are obvious from birth, and children are indoctrinated into appropriate sex-type occupations at a young age (Azikiwe 1993). The United Nations (UN) defined gender as “Man and Woman” at the Fourth World Conference on Women (F.M.C.W.) in Beijing, China, in 1996, and this definition applies to this study. Green (1979) demonstrates how culture and tradition have assigned jobs to men and women in society, confining each sex to areas deemed exclusively for their use. Women, for example, were traditionally expected to work in fields such as nursing and education.

Furthermore, prior to the introduction of western education in Nigeria’s pre-colonial traditional civilization, indigenous education was polarized between sexes.

to their future positions in society.

Fafunwa (1974) explains this pattern by stating that, while males received intensive farm training under the supervision of their fathers, girls received training at home in child care, food preparation, and so on under the strict supervision of their mothers. Previously, during the era of official western education in Nigeria, there was a distinction between the types of occupations undertaken by boys and females, possibly due to carryover effects. Emeyeonu (1994) accurately articulated this situation by stating that girls should pursue careers in teaching and nursing rather than engineering, law, or medicine. “A female student applying to study mechanical engineering is considered an outlier and an exception to the role,” he explained.

Her brain may need to be tested. “Girls were expected to go into fields such as the arts, education, and home economics. Unfortunately, the majority of young Nigerian females seeking to higher education have bought into this myth and have approached their job choices with trepidation and shyness”.

1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT

The majority of supporters of single-gender schools and classrooms emphasized not only the impact of gender on student relationships, but also the importance of increasing the proportion of students who have the same gender teacher (Krieg, 2005).

Furthermore, Meece (1987), Hopf & Hatzichristou (1999), Rodriguez (2002), and Etaugh & Hughes (1975) discovered that teachers interact differently with students of the same gender than with students of the opposite gender, and (ii) a teacher interacts differently with students of the same gender than with students of the opposite gender.

The gender difference in a teacher’s perception of a student’s characteristics and abilities is significant. Several studies, according to Krieg (2005), have found that male students benefit from the volume and quality of engagement they receive from professors of both genders at the expense of female students. As a result, the following problems emerge: Is there a link between teachers’ gender and their teaching style? What is the relationship between teacher gender and the amount of class and homework assigned to students? Is there a link between teachers’ gender and their students’ academic performance? As a result, the purpose of this study is to answer the aforementioned questions by examining the relationship between instructors’ gender and students’ academic performance.

1.3 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVES

The extensive

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between teachers’ gender and students’ academic performance in secondary schools. Other objectives of this study include, but are not limited to:

i. Determine whether there is a link between teachers’ gender and their approach to teaching.

ii. Determine whether there is a link between the gender of teachers and the academic performance of their students.

iii. To investigate whether teachers’ gender influences their interactions with students.

1.4 HYPOTHESES FOR RESEARCH

To assess the efficacy of this study, the following null hypotheses will be tested:

Ho1: There is no relationship between a teacher’s gender and their approach to teaching.

Ho2: There is no correlation between teacher gender.

And the academic performance of their students.

1.5 THE STUDY’S IMPORTANCE

This study adds to the body of knowledge by articulating the link between teacher-gender differential influence on teacher-student relationships and the impact of this relationship on students’ academic achievement.

The study will also be used as a reference source by academics and students at other universities who are conducting research on the same or a related topic.

This work will benefit gender analysts. It will also benefit counselors, trainers, and psychologists. It will also benefit teachers, parents, and students.

Finally, the study’s findings will be a valuable resource for the government, educational planners and policymakers, and educational administrators, among others, when making decisions about teacher recruitment for boys’ or girls’ schools.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The focus of this study is on the relationship between teachers’ gender and students’ academic performance in secondary schools. Specifically, this is concerned with determining whether there is a link between the gender of teachers and their approach to teaching, determining whether there is a link between the gender of teachers and their students’ academic performance, and investigating whether the gender of teachers affects their relationship with students.

Teachers and students from selected secondary schools in Bali LGA, Taraba State, will participate in this study’s survey.

1.7 THE STUDY’S LIMITATIONS

As with any human endeavor, the researcher encountered minor setbacks while conducting the study. As a result of the scarcity of literature on the subject

Because of the nature of the discourse, the researcher incurred additional financial costs and spent additional time locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as during the data collection process, which is why the researcher chose a small sample size. Furthermore, the researcher conducted this investigation in conjunction with other scholarly endeavors. Furthermore, because only a small number of respondents completed the research instrument, the findings cannot be generalized to other secondary schools outside the state. Regardless of the constraints encountered throughout the investigation, all aspects were minimized to ensure the best results and most productive research.

1.8 TERM DEFINITION

Teachers: A teacher, also known as a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is someone who assists students in gaining knowledge and competence.

or virtuous. Anyone can take on the role of teacher informally.

Gender: One of the two sexes (male or female), especially when referring to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones.

Academic performance: The degree to which a student, teacher, or institution has met their short or long-term educational objectives. Academic achievement is demonstrated by the completion of educational benchmarks such as secondary school diplomas and bachelor’s degrees.