Comparative Study Of The Academic Performance Of Male And Female Student In English Language In Some Selected School

Comparative Study Of The Academic Performance Of Male And Female Student In English Language In Some Selected School

ABSTRACT

 This study was on comparative study of the academic performance of male and female student in English language in some selected secondary school. The total population for the study is 200 staffs of selected secondary schools in Dambatta, Kano state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made principals, vice principal adm, senior staff and junior staff were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

 

Students’ poor performance in Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by both the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) (Eze, 2011) is really disturbing especially that educationists now emphasis much on educational accountability. It is worthwhile to reiterate on the role and function of English language in Nigeria as that which warrants concern when students’ performance in it is poor. English language is used as the medium of instruction and in learning other subjects in all Nigerian educational institutions. Equally too, no student is qualified for admission into the Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions without scoring a credit pass in it in addition to other four subjects in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO). One other serious issue worthy of note at this point of discourse is that, in Nigeria today, during the placement of students into either schools or classrooms to enhance better performance, the factors mostly considered are ability, aptitude, occupation or trade or career choice, science or arts inclination but always at the exclusion of gender streaming factor. Where and when gender comes to mind, it is a haphazard exercise. It is neither based on policy guideline or research report nor bearing in mind academic performance benefit but on grounds of morality or religious injunctions or obligations. Secondly, this study was motivated by issues related to gender equity in education especially in northern Nigeria despite several declarations and provision of legislative tools and other support by powerful international bodies such as UNICEF, World Bank, UNESCO etcetera on this issue. These include the inequity between female and male educational opportunities, low level of enrollment, alarming withdrawal rate resulting in low completion rate, poor or lack of attention and support for the girl-child education, unequal attention given to males and females students especially in coeducational classrooms among others. In addition, the assertion that females have better aptitude and competence in learning language than their male counterparts and the availability of controversial and inconsistency of results of studies on the academic performance of both female and male students’ performance when they are streamed according to gender is academically challenging to have prompted this study. Positive study results on gender streaming include those by Lee and Lockheed (1990); Mallam (1996), Kurumeh,Igyu and Mohammed(2013); Bosire, Mondohand Barmao, (2008); Sax, (2007) etc and unfavorable study results include those of Rowe (2008); Oludipe (2012); Kang’ahi, (2012); Pahlke, E., Hyde, J. S. Allison, C. M. (2014) etc. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of gender streaming on male students’ performance in English language at the senior secondary school level in Niger State. The finding is aimed at curbing the high rate of students’ failure in English language in West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations in Niger State, Nigeria when implemented.

 However, student’s performance is not dependent on sex difference and this leads to continue verification and study on males and female’s performance in English language. Hence, the current study will investigate the comparative study between males and females performance in senior secondary school English language.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

According to Fakeye (2011), Nigerian secondary school students have problems in the learning of English Language as revealed in their achievement in the public examinations. Therefore, this situation is a source of concern, and has aroused the interest of these researchers to investigate academic performance of male and female student in English Language. Many likely factors may be responsible for these students’ poor academic achievement in the subject. Researchers such as Eme (2012) and Obanya (2013) have pointed out some factors such as the teacher, the school and the home environment. Others are peer group influence, pedagogical variables, government policies among others. However, in view of the entrenched gender practices in Nigeria and Kano state, particularly, an investigation of the role of gender is still valid. Consequently, the pertinent question that this researcher sought to answer is: does gender differentials, influence students’ academic achievement in English Language?

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study us to compare the performance of male and female students in English and mathematics. Specifically, the study intends to:

1. Investigate differences in performance between male and female students in senior secondary schools English Language
2. To find out the level of differences between male and female students performance in English language in senior secondary schools
3. To find out the relationship between boyfriend and girlfriend relationship on the performance of both male and female in English
4. To ascertain whether students’ gender influence academic performance in English language

RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

 

the following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher;

H₀: there are no differences in performance between male and female students in senior secondary schools English Language

H₁: there are differences in performance between male and female students in senior secondary schools English Language

H₀²: students’ gender does not influence academic performance in English language

H₂: students’ gender influence academic performance in English language

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will be very significant to students and the policy makers. The study will give a clear insight on the comparative study of the academic performance of male and female student in English language in some selected secondary school in Dambatta local government of kano state. The study give insight on the factors that causes of the non-equal performance of male and female students in English language. The study will also serve as a reference to other researchers that will embark on the related topic

SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers comparative study of the academic performance of male and female student in English language in some selected secondary school in Dambatta local government of Kano state. The researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study;

1. a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study
2. b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
3. c) FINANCE: There is no enough finance to source for the materials, thereby limiting the study

 

 

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: Academic performance is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has achieved their short or long-term educational goals. Cumulative GPA and completion of educational benchmarks such as secondary school diplomas and bachelor’s degrees represent academic achievement

Comparative: measured or judged by estimating the similarity or dissimilarity between one thing and another; relative

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