Volume 7, Issue 3, March – 2022 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165

Gender Differences in the Academic Performance of

Students in Senior Secondary School Mathematics
TARFA Fredrick Salvia, DIKE Chinyere Ogochukwu Ph.D
Department of Mathematics, Federal College of Education Yola
Adamawa State Nigeria

Abstract:- This study examined Gender Differences in performance or high rate of failure can lead to many
the Academic Performance of Students in Senior negative consequences such as unacceptable levels of
Secondary School Mathematics. The population of the attrition, reduction or zero admission opportunities for
study comprises eighteen (18) Senior Secondary Schools students seeking to enter tertiary institutions. Academic
in Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa performance of students is among the main concern of
State, Nigeria who registered and sat for General parents and the educational institution hence a constant
Mathematics at West African Senior Secondary Schools topic of interest for educators.
Examination (WASSCE) for the period of five (5) years
2013 – 2017. Six (6) mixed schools were sampled out of Academic Performance concept has been a subject of
the population of the study with a total number of three discussion for a very long time. It has received much
thousand seven hundred and sixty four (3764) students philosophical discussion but less application than deserved.
of which two thousand one hundred and sixty (2160) Pearson (2003) defined performance as something
students representing 57.4% of the sampled population important that one succeed in doing by his own effort.
are male students and one thousand six hundred and Performances in education therefore involve assessment
four (1604) students representing 42.6% of the sampled and measurement of educational success attainment of an
population are female students. A simple random individual. Furthermore, is impossible to define
sampling technique was used in the selection of the six performance of an individual by the action the individual
(6) sampled schools. An expo facto design was adopted but rather by judgmental and evaluative processes (Ilgen
for this study. Simple percentages and T-test analysis and Schneider, 1991; Motowidlo et al., 1997). Campbell et
were used for the data analysis. The analysis essentially al. (1993) further stressed that performance is constituted
involves the statistical testing of the hypotheses at 0.05 only by an action that can be scaled or measured. He
alpha level which form the basis for the acceptance or maintained that the outcome aspect refers to the
rejection of each null hypothesis stated. The study consequence or result of the individual’s behavior. The
revealed that the distribution of performance of male above described behaviors may result in outcomes such as
and female students in Mathematics in the period students reading proficiency, sales figures or number of
sampled for the study varies as it kept changing over successful heart operations among others. In many
the years examined. It shows that less than 50% of the situations, the behavioral and outcome aspect are related
students who sat for West African Senior Secondary empirically, but they do not overlap completely.
Schools Examination (WASSCE) Mathematics over the
years had credit pass A1 – C6. This means that there is Binder (1999) defines academic performance testing
a significant difference in gender based academic in relation with performance requirements. Thus, he
performances of students in Mathematics in the selected stressed that performance tests are designed to validate
sampled schools in the period examined for the study. performance requirements which are expressed either as
The study recommends that female students ought to be time interval in which a student must accomplish a given
admonished to approach science subjects especially task, as performance throughout. Also, Gao et al. (2003)
Mathematics without inferiority complex to the male defines performance test as an activity to validate the
students. student performance and measure his capacity. In relation
to educational research, an academic performance of
Abbreviation: West African Senior Secondary Schools students can be regarded as the observable and measurable
Examination (WASSCE) behavior of students in a particular situation. James (2000)
declared that academic performance really involves how
Keywords:- Academic Performance, Gender Difference, much a student has learned. Academic performance is the
Mathematics, Students. outcome of education; the extent to which a student,
teacher or institution has achieved their educational goal.
I. INTRODUCTION Annie et al. (1996) stressed that academic performance is
Academic Performance is the quality and quantity of commonly measure by test, examination or continuous
knowledge, skills, techniques and positive attitudes, assessment however there is no generally unique agreement
behaviour and idea that students achieve or acquire. This on how it is best or which aspect are most important;
achievement is weighed up by the mark or grade that procedural knowledge such as skills or declarative
students make in a term or education cycle. Academic knowledge such as facts.
performance has a great impact on a student’s motivation, Poor academic performance of students in Secondary
confidence and determination in education. Poor academic Schools in Nigeria has been a much discussed educational

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Volume 7, Issue 3, March – 2022 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
issue. In solving any problem however, it is pertinent to ability such as trucks, toys consisting of plastic building
understand the causes of such problems. Many factors have blocks and other components and model. Spencer (2004)
been put to study as the etiological starting point for also affirms that that the games of girls are often highly
investigating the phenomena of school failure or success. structured requiring turn taking and rules. Thus, social
These factors include the supposed responsibilities of the expectations and conformity pressures may create cultural
students, teachers, parents or family, school environment, blocks to girls. Fabunmi (2004) in a study discovered that
society, government etc. Most famous work that discussed gender composition has a significant relationship with
these among others are effects of students’ study habits students’ academic performance and that gender
(Ayodele & Adebiyi, 2013), school environment (Adesoji composition has a significant influence academic
& Olatunbosun, 2008), teachers’ competencies (Akiri & performance of Secondary School students.
Ugborugbo, 2009), parents’ economic status (Osonwa et
al, 2013), continuous assessment (Kolawole & Ala, 2014), In view of the notion that the gender of a student
educational funding (Ugwulashi, 2012). However, gender influences the academic performance of students, it is
difference is one of the major factors discussed in therefore important to find out whether any relationship
literatures with significant effects on academic performance exists in academic performance of students on the basis of
of students especially in Mathematics and other science gender difference in Mathematics in Senior Secondary
base subjects. Schools.

Gender is viewed as the range of physical, biological, II. METHODOLOGY

mental and behavioral characteristics pertaining to and
distinguishing between the feminine and masculine (female A. Research Design
and male) population (Okeke, 1990). The significance of The research design adopted for this study is an ex-post
investigating students academic performance in relation to factor documentary study. This involved the use of past
gender is based primarily on the socio-cultural differences results of West African Senior Secondary Certificate
between girls and boys. Some duties and work are believed Examination (WASSCE) General Mathematics for the
to be attributed for men only. For instance engineering, arts period of five years starting from 2013 to 2017. The data
and crafts work, agriculture among others. Whereas was used to determine the Gender Difference in the
professions like catering, typing, nursing etc., is acclimatize academic performance of students in Mathematics in some
for women. Most at times parents assigned domestic selected Senior Secondary Schools for this study.
functions like car washing, grass cutting, bulbs fixing and B. Population of the Study
climbing ladders to fix or remove things to the boy child. The study population comprises of eighteen (18) Senior
Alternatively, domestic work like dishes washing, cooking, Secondary Schools in Yola North Local Government Area
cleaning up the house is assigned to the girl child. In of Adamawa State who registered and sat for General
general, it is believed that any task that is demanding or Mathematics at West African Senior Secondary Schools
complex in nature should be handled by the boys whereas Examination (WASSCE) for the period of five (5) years
less demanding or relatively easy task should be allocated 2013 – 2017. Statistics from the Ministry of Education
to the girls. As a result of this arbitrary way of thinking Yola Adamawa State showed that eleven thousand and fifty
and/or belief by the larger society, girls are seen as the (11050) students sat for General Mathematics examination
weaker sex. Thus, an average Nigerian girl child goes to in the 18 schools of Yola North Local Government Area in
school with these fixed stereotypes (Dania, 2014). the period selected for the study. Six thousand three
The significance of investigating relationship in hundred and ninety one (6391) were boys while four
instructional strategy to gender is primarily based on the thousand six hundred and fifty nine (4659) were girls.
socio-cultural differences between girls and boys (Abra, However, not all the schools in the Local Government Area
1991). Traditionally, girls in our society have been have West African Examination Council centre recognition
encouraged to conform, whereas boys are expected to be and record of West African Senior Secondary Schools
active and dominant risk takers. Corroborating this view, Examination (WASSCE) over the period selected for the
Hassan and Ogunyemi, (2008) acknowledge that most boys study.
are provided with toys that enhance their visual-spatial

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Volume 7, Issue 3, March – 2022 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165

POPULATION (2013 – 2017)

S/N NAME OF SCHOOLS SCHOOL TYPE MALE FEMALE TOTAL
1 GDSS Gwadabawa Mixed 495 310 805
2 GDSS Doubeli Mixed 435 304 739
3 GDSS Old GRA Mixed 293 244 537
4 GMMC Yola Male 946 0 946
5 GDSS Karewa Mixed 304 230 534
6 GDSS Luggere Mixed 488 358 846
7 GDSS Capital Mixed 495 364 859
8 GDSS Jambutu Mixed 324 229 553
9 GDSS Army Barrack Mixed 524 381 905
10 GGSS yola Female 0 722 722
11 Aliyu Mustapha Academy Mixed 236 169 405
12 Bosco Comprehensive School Mixed 311 219 530
13 Concordia College Mixed 184 124 308
14 Elshadai Model School Mixed 222 163 385
15 FAAN Academy Mixed 266 196 462
16 IQRA Academy Mixed 306 213 519
17 Light of Life Academy Mixed 274 210 484
18 Redemption Anglican Academy Mixed 288 223 511
TOTAL 6391 4659 11050
Table 1: The Distribution of Population of the Study

SOURCE: Ministry of Education, Yola Adamawa State

C. Sample and Sampling Techniques reflects the entire population upon which generalization is
Six (6) schools were selected at random out of the made. In light of this fact, this study adopted all that sat for
population of eighteen (18) Senior Secondary Schools in General Mathematics WASSCE for the year 2013 – 2017 of
Yola North Local Government Area, Adamawa State. the selected schools.
According to some writers, sample is worthless unless it

SAMPLED POPULATION
S/N NAME OF SCHOOLS SCHOOL TYPE MALE FEMALE TOTAL
1 GDSS Capital Mixed 495 364 859
2 GDSS Karewa Mixed 304 230 534
3 GDSS Luggere Mixed 488 358 846
4 Redemption Anglican Academy Mixed 288 223 511
5 Light of Life Academy Mixed 274 210 484
6 Bosco Comprh. School Mixed 311 219 530
TOTAL 2160 1604 3764
Table 2: The Schools and the Number of Students Sampled

To ensure factual information needed for this study, and then used for computer data analysis. To test the
the researcher devised the use of past West African Senior hypothesis, a t-test statistical analysis was employed. The
Secondary Schools Examination (WASSCE) results for the method was used because it is considered to be the most
period of five (5) years (2013 to 2017) selected for the appropriate method of comparing means of two groups,
study. The content analyses enable the researcher to sift which are subjected to the same condition. The mean scores
through the volume of data with relative ease in a systematic of the male and female students’ academic performance in
fashion (U.S GAO 1996). Mathematics were compared at an alpha level of 0.05 or
95% confidence interval of difference.
D. Method of Data Analysis
The data collected was analyzed using both descriptive E. T-Test Governing Equation
and quantitative statistics. Simple percentage and T-test The t-test is any statistical hypothesis test in which the test
analysis were used for the data analysis. The results from statistic follows a Student’s t-distribution under the null
past West African Senior Secondary Schools Examination hypothesis. It can be used to determine if two sets of data
(WASSCE) for the period of five years (2013 to 2017) of are significantly different from each other, and is most
the sampled schools provides data which was scrutinized commonly applied when the test statistic would follow a

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Volume 7, Issue 3, March – 2022 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
normal distribution if the value of a scaling term in the test
statistic were known. III. APPLICATION OF T-TEST TECHNIQUES TO
T-test uses means and standard deviations of two samples to GENDER DIFFERENCE IN THE ACADEMIC
make a comparison. The formula for T-test is given below: PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN
MATHEMATICS
x1  x 2
t where; The research questions, hypotheses and results
S obtained in the study are presented as follows:
x1 = Mean of first set of values
x 2 = Mean of second set of values A. Research Question
Is there any significant relationship between the male
S   Estimated standard error of the mean and the female students’ academic performance in
Secondary School Mathematics?
s12 s 22
S   To answer this research question, the percentage
n1 n 2 distribution of performance of male and female students
s1 = Standard deviation of first set of values based on the number of candidates with credit and above
(A1-C6) in General Mathematics WASSCE for the year
s2 = Standard deviation of second set of values 2013 – 2017 of the selected schools was used.

n1 = Total number of values in first set

n 2 = Total number of values in second set.
The formula for standard deviation is given by:

s
 (x  x) 2

n 1
x = Values given
x = Mean
n = Total number of values

Year N n a b Remark
2013 748 412 102 24.8 Low
2014 734 450 98 21.8 Low
2015 785 455 147 32.3 Low
2016 849 478 190 39.7 Low
2017 648 365 112 30.7 Low
TOTAL 3764 2160 649 30.0 Low
Table 3: Percentage Distribution of Performance of Male Students in WASSCE General Mathematics

N – Total number of Candidates for the year 2013-2017 21.8, 32.3, 39.7 and 30.7 percent respectively. The pattern
respectively of the entire sampled schools. reveals that the performance over the years were not stable,
n – Number of male students for each year selected for it varied from year to year in which less than 50% of the
a – Number of male candidates with credit and above for the male students passed Mathematics at credit level and above
selected period (A1-C6). It also indicates that in the year 2016, the students
b – Percentages of male candidates with credit and above had the best performance with 39.7%, followed by 2015,
for the selected period 2017, 2013 and 2014 with 32.3, 30.7, 24.8, and 21.8 percent
respectively. However, the year 2014 has the least
Table 3 reveals the number and percentages of male percentage with 21.8% passed.
students having credit and above (A1-C6) in Mathematics
over the periods of five years (2013-2017) which are 24.8,

Year N n a b Remark
2013 748 336 93 27.7 Low
2014 734 284 86 30.3 Low
2015 785 330 102 30.9 Low
2016 849 371 146 39.4 Low
2017 648 283 98 34.6 Low
TOTAL 3764 1604 525 32.7 Low
Table 4: Percentage Distribution of Performance of Female Students in WASSCE General Mathematics

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N – Total number of Candidates for the year 2013-2017 C6). It also indicates that in the year 2016, the female
respectively of the entire sampled schools. students had the best performance with 39.4% followed by
n – Number of female candidates for each year selected 2017, 2015, 2014 and 2013 with 34.6, 30.9, 30.3 and 27.7
a – Number of female candidates with credit and above for percent respectively. However, the year 2013 has the least
the selected period performance with 27.7% passed.
b – Percentages of female candidates with credit and above
for the selected period B. Hypothesis
There is no significant difference between the academic
Table 4 shows the number and percentage of female performance of male and female students in mathematics.
students with credit and above (A1-C6) in Mathematics over
the periods of five years (2013-2017) which are 27.7, 30.3, To test the null hypothesis, T-test analysis was used to
30.9, 39.4, and 34.6 percent respectively. The patterns test the difference between male and female students
reveals that the performance over the years were not stable, academic performance in mathematics. Summary of the
for it varied from year to year in which less than 50% of the analysis is shown in Table 5 and 6 below.
students passed Mathematics at credit level and above (A1-

Gender Mean N Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean

Male 129.80 5 38.797 17.351
Female 105.00 5 23.685 10.592
Table 5: The Descriptive Statistics of the Gender Based Performances of the Students with Credit and
Above (A1-C6) of the Sampled Students in Mathematics

Table 5 showed the mean performance of the students the female students. However, the male students vary a little
with credit and above (A1-C6) of the entire sampled around average compared to the female students with
students results (male and female) for the period of five majority of the male students having more than average
years 2013-2017 in WASSCE general Mathematics. It performance.
showed that the male students perform better compared with

Variable Df Mean Difference t-value Sig. (2-tailed) Remark

Male 4 24.8 3.068 0.037 Significant
Female
Table 6: T-test of the Gender Based Performances of the Entire Sampled Students

Table 6 showed the T-test statistics of the students’ IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
gender performances. It revealed that 24.8 extra marks
obtained by the male students was considerable since the The results of the study were discussed based on the
significance value of the test (0.037) is less than 0.05. examined question answered and the hypothesis tested.

C. Summary of Findings The distribution analysis of the performance in this

From the research question answered and the hypothesis study has shown that the performance distribution kept
tested, the following are the summary of the major findings changing with time in an upward and downward manner.
of the study: This suggested that the series varies at different time
 The distribution of performances of male and female intervals.
students in West African Senior Secondary Schools
The result from tables 5 and 6 showed a significant
Examination (WASSCE) General Mathematics
slightly difference in the performance of the male students
sampled for the study in Yola North Local Government
which is better than that of the female students in
Area of Adamawa State was not stable as it kept
Mathematics (i.e. mean difference = 24.8; t-test = 0.037 at
changing over the period studied, which revealed that
0.05). The higher variation around the mean of the male
less than 50% of the candidates who sat for WASSCE
students shows that the performance of the male students is
Mathematics over the years had credit pass (A1-C6).
not as uniform as the female counterparts. That is, the whole
 There is a significant difference in gender based
female students performance is similar as opposed to the
academic performances of the students in WASSCE
male students.
General Mathematics in the chosen sampled schools in
the period selected for the study.

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