Gender differences in performances in Math at a secondary school in Buhera District

Author

Mukono, P.

Title

Gender differences in performances in Math at a secondary school in Buhera District

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences in performances in Math in secondary schools. The study was carried out in Buhera District in Manicaland Province. The study was guided by five questions: what are the gender differences in math performance?, what are socio-cultural factors contributing to gender differences in math performances?, how does the school environment affect the performance of girls and boys in mathematics in secondary schools?, and what strategies that can be employed to cover the gender gap in the performance in Math. The study used mixed methods research approach to investigate gender differences in the performance in Math. A total of 30 students who were selected using convenience sampling responded to Student Mathematics Achievement Test (SMAT) comprising statistics and probability questions, and five teachers were interviewed. Data was collected using written test items for students, and open ended questionnaires for students and teachers. The data was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods and descriptive statistics were used to come up with some calculations of mean and standard deviation, with boys having a higher mean of 13.2 and a lower standard deviation of 3.63 while girls had a lower mean of 6.47 and a higher standard deviation of 4.93. Results revealed that there are gender differences in mathematics performance in Mutiusinazita Secondary School, Buhera District. The student test item results revealed that male students in Buhera District outperform female students in mathematics. Through various statements from teachers and students corroborated these results as the findings generally indicated that boys outperformed girls in Mathematics. Furthermore, the study also revealed that though female students trail male students by performance in mathematics, some female students also outperform some male learners especially in the area of statistics. Based on the findings, we recommend that policymakers should target more on the programs that would improve performance of girls in Mathematics especially addressing variables that affect girls negatively.Further, some programs to sensitize various teacher’s opinions on gender differences and their impact on performance in Mathematics should be developed and implemented in schools.

Date

2024

Publisher

BUSE

Keywords

Gender differences

performances

Math

Supervisor

Dr. Mudavanhu, Y