COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MALE AND FEMALE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND
INTEREST IN C.R.S (A CASE STUDY OF SOME SELECETED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN IKERE
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE : INTRODUCTION
Background to the
Study
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of the Study
Objectives of the Study
Research Questions
Research Hypotheses
Significance of the Study
Limitation of the Study
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Conceptual Framework
Theoretical Framework
Empirical Studies
Summary of Literature Review
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Introduction
Research Design
Population of the Study
Sampling Technique and Sample
Research Instruments
Validity of the Instrument
Administration of Instrument
Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULT
PRESENTATION
Introduction
Result and Discussion
Discussion of Findings
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION
AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
Conclusion
Recommendations
References
Appendix
ABSTRACT
This study examines the influence of School Environment on
student Academic Performance in Secondary Schools in Ikere Local Government
Area Ekiti State. Factors such as school physical facilities, school climate,
class size and discipline were examined to know their effects on touhe academic
performance of secondary school students. Questionnaire was contracted to test
the hypotheses developed. Simple percentage statistical tool was employed to
analyse the variables. Based on the findings, it was discovered that poor
school facilities, large class size, inappropriate school location, and
indiscipline among teachers and students affects students’ academic
performance. Recommendations were made to address the issues of school learning
facilities, classroom population, school location, and proper discipline.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
of the Study
The
nature of gender inequalities in education has changed profoundly over recent
decades, and with regard to attainment of goals in particular, has become more
complex. Apart from the injustice inherent in all gender stereotyping, gender
differences in education can also negatively affect economic growth and social
development. The education for women is believed to have far-reaching benefits.
It has a positive contributions to health of family, family size, and education
of children (Hill, 2003). In a similar vein, World Bank (2006) stated that one
way for developing countries to bring a better life standard of a people is to
invest in the education of girls. In its view of the far reaching advantage of
girls’ education, the article continued to state “Not only well educated
women are more productive, but they will also bring up better educated and healthier
child” (World Bank, 2006).
Using
Nigerian as a case study, the proportion of females’ to males’ higher education
academic performance and participation has not yet reached the same (MOE,
2008). This shows that the higher education of female is still a long way behind,
as compared to w hat is desired by the country.
Christian
religious studies is a discipline that has been plagued by many problems such
as declining popularity and low enrolment especially in institutions of higher
learning, poor academic performance in both external and internal examination
and gender differences noticed in such performances. Gender roles affect
familiarity with academic content, career aspirations, attitude towards
subjects, teachers expectation and preferred approaches and these in turn
affect academic performance (Equal opportunities commission,2001).
One of the major challenges is how the gender attitude
behaves differently in different fields of life including education, services
in offices and in house hold matters, etc. The gender wise performance may
behave differently based on several numbers of variables including demographic,
social, cultural, etc. Gender has been found to influence the student’s
academic performance (Braddock, 2001; Simelane, 2006).
Lao (2008) found that the female students achieved higher
Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) as compared to male, during observing the
academic performance before college level. Young and Fisler (2000) observed
that male students obtained better scores than females. Observing success in
terms of course grades, Bridgeman and Wendler (2001) found that women had identical
or higher grades in CRS classes.
The health of students can also influence on the students
educational performance because with good health more work is possible than
that of poor health (Hammer et al., 2008). Location of the Institution (Urban
and Rural) was also investigated to be a significant factor contributing to students’
academic performance (Glass et. al., 2002; Mosteller, 2005).
Parents’ educational achievements were also observed to
have a positively significant impact to enhance their children’s academic performance
(Durden & Ellis, 1995). Higher rate of success in graduation was found in
college students whose parents’ had attained higher educational level (Swell
& Shaw, 2001). Moreover, the personal behaviour of the student towards
studies may also play an important role in order to enhance the students’
performance. This behaviour may vary from male to female. The female students
can achieve higher grades than male students because they attend lectures more
regularly than male and sit in the front of the classroom (Brooks and Rebeta, 2005).
Past academic performance, age, gender, work done at home,
time spent reading in the library, and students’ behaviour toward school were found
to be the significant factors for the determination of students performance
(Sithole and Dlamini, 1997). Hence, it may be expected that the time spend in
cafeteria and studies other than class hours may affect the academic
performance. The studies other than class hours were found to be inversely
significant with the students’ academic performance (Hijazi and Naqvi, 2006).
Now a day, the importance of internet cannot be denied in
the higher education studies. Because the latest material related to the
different concepts is available on the internet. So, it is expected that the
use of internet can influence on the students’ academic performance. Aleamoni
(1977) found that the past behavior is considered the best predictor of the
future behavior.
According to Obemeata (2003) CRS as a
subject has various values to the learners, it connects learners to the
essentials of everyday life and it widens the mental horizon of learner because
it increase mental capacity to understand various problems of life and to
analyze a situation and then draws conclusions which provides a guideline for
successful life
Statement of the Problem
One
of the problems that is attracting public concern in Nigeria today is the
gender gap in academic performance of students in schools. This observable
disparity has been blamed on a number of factors including social, economic and
cultural stereotyping. The study was based on the researchers’ experiences of
over fifteen years of teaching and has knowledge of academic performance of
male and female in secondary schools. Observation had shown that there are
differences between male and female in the pattern of education. These differences
are causing disparity in gender participation and academic performance in
Nigerian secondary schools. From the researcher’s point of view, it appears
that not much research center on gender difference in academic performance in
Christian Religious Studies have been conducted especially in Ikere Metropolis,
Ekiti State, Nigeria. In addition, among the few researches conducted on gender
disparity in academic performance of secondary schools in Ekiti state none of
the researchers gave a conclusive answer to the problems. It is against this
that, this study was conducted to determine gender difference in academic
performance in Christian Religious Studies among senior secondary school
students in Ikere Metropolis. However, it is important to note that there are
several variables that can affect performance, rather than gender.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to
determine whether there is comparative studies of male and female academic
performance and interest in Christian Religion Studies.
Objectives of the Study
a) To investigate the differences in the
academic performance of male and female students
b) To examine the teaching and
performance of instructors
c) To evaluate the distribution of
performance by male and female students
d) To determine the statistics of the C.R.S
achievement of the males and females
Research Questions
1. What are those factors responsible
for the male and female academic performance of student and interest in
Christian Religious studies?
2. Does
the socio- economic background of parents affect male and female academic
Performance and interest in Christian Religious studies?
3. What
are the effects of instructional material on academic Performance of male and
female students in Christian Religious Studies?
4. Does
the attitude of student affect their learning of Christian Religious studies?
5. How
can teachers improve on their method and attitude of teaching in order to
stimulate the interests of male and female students in learning Christian
Religious studies?
Hypothesis
1. There
are significant factors responsible for the male and female academic
performance of student and interest in Christian Religious Studies.
2. Socio-
economic background of parents affects male and female academic Performance and
interest in Christian Religious studies.
3. There
are significant effects of instructional material on academic Performance of
male and female students in Christian Religious Studies.
4. Attitude
of student affect their learning of Christian Religious Studies.
5. There
are significant ways in which teachers can improve on their method and attitude
of teaching in order to stimulate the interests of male and female students in
learning Christian Religious Studies.
Significant
of the Study
The
investigation has noticed that male and female students are not performing as
expected of them in Christian Religious studies. The varying psychologists and
teachers have therefore focused their attention on influencing factor affecting
academic performance of male and female students. They were of the view that
the problem comes from the teachers, students and government.
Limitation of the Study
This
research work will cover Christian Religious Studies in secondary schools and
the study will be limited to Ikere Local Government of Ekiti State.
The
subject of the study is the comparative study of male and female academic
performance and interest in Christian Religious studies, a case study of Ikere
Local Government Area.
