EFFECT
OF GENDER ON SUCCESSFUL LEARNING OF
CHEMISTRY IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS
IN IKERE-EKITI LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF
EKITI STATE.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Content Page
Title page i
Approval page ii
Certification iii
Dedication v
Acknowledgment vi
Table of contents vii
Abstract viii
CHAPTER I
Introduction 1
Background to the study 1
Objectives of the study 7
Research questions 8
Research Hypothesis 8
Significance of the study 9
Scope of the study 9
Definition of terms 9
CHAPTER II
Literature Review 12
CHAPTER III
Research Methodology 33
Design of the study 33
Location of the study 34
Study population 35
Sampling 39
Research instrument 40
Variables 44
CHAPTER IV
Data Analysis 46
Presentation and Discussion 50
CHAPTER V
Summary 51
Conclusion 52
Recommendation 53
REFERENCES 54
APPENDICES 56
ABSTRACT
In developing countries education is
being called upon, to play an even more important role in the future. More
students are needed to become competent in the key science subjects most
especially chemistry. This study focused on the impact of gender on successful
learning of chemistry in secondary school. In addition to the main purpose the
study sought to identify the factors that contribute to the impact made by the
genders on the successful learning of chemistry and to provide more equal
opportunities for studying chemistry and science in general to both gender. The
research instrument employed for this study was questionnaires, the data
collected were analysed using simple percentage. The analysis carried out
showed that boys make more impact in successful learning of chemistry than the
girls. A number of recommendation were made in the area of ensuring the girls
to have interest in learning chemistry as boys and this can only be achieved by
motivating them so as not to live on the general views that chemistry is too
difficult to understand.
CHAPTER
ONE
Background
to the study
The
role of science education in the lives of individuals and in the advancement of
science and technology for the development of mankind and the society in
general is very crucial. Scientific literacy, which is the gateway to achieve
scientific and technological advancement and economic survival, is achievable
through science education. The influence of science on a nation and its
citizens could be seen from the production of basic human needs to social,
political, educational, technological and economic advancement. The steps
scientists take during scientific investigation (Science Processes) and
scientific products draw the attention of the society to the fact that science
makes life comfortable (Saha, 2015).
Chemistry
is very important science subject in senior secondary schools curricular worldwide. It is a core subject
for the medical science, textile technology, agricultural science, synthetic
industry, printing technology, pharmacy, chemical engineering. As important as
the subject is and inspite of the efforts of both the federal and state
governments to encourage chemistry education, students still shun the subject
Kelly, (2018). It has been observed that most students fear chemistry and hence
they see chemistry as difficult to understand, which may be as a result of the
abstract nature of chemistry and the method (lecture method) being used by most
of the chemistry teachers. Students’ anxiety for chemistry learning can also be
attributed to students’ perception about the difficult nature of chemistry,
involvement of multitude of facts and its disconnection from reality (3)
Abiodun (2005). Students anxiety for Chemistry leads to loss of interest in the
sciences Keeves, 2002. Inspite of the long existing fear and its effects on the
subjects, in Nigerian researchers had done little or nothing on the basic
psychological factors that could generate such anxiety.
Until
the latter half of the twentieth century, the different roles of men and women
in society in the western world remained largely unquestioned, although since
1920 women gradually had gained the right to vote and the general access to
education at all levels. As many women claimed the right to be treated as equal
alongside men in all aspects of social, political and cultural life, the demand
for further social changes was evident. Many of these legitimate claims of
women began to be constitutionalized in numerous countries in the late 1960s
(Kotte, 2002).
Nonetheless,
the masked imbalance between the sexes in many fields of employment was not overcome
completely. There are relatively female scientists and engineers at the
professional level and even fewer technicians and trade women at the skilled
worker level (Kelly, 2008 and Kotte 2001). The origins of such differences can
be traced back to participation in studying science at school, from the
earliest grades onwards. It cannot be ruled out that such differences are
generated at even earlier stages in the socialization process taking place at
hand. However there seems to be little doubt that these differences between the
sexes are established and consolidated during formal schooling (Keeves, 2001).
In
economic competition environment of the developing countries each educational
system is expected to ‘produce’ an optimum member of technological qualified
personnel who are needed by the labour market. This has implication for the
planning of the educational system of each country. Not only are more science
trained students expected to graduate from higher school, but there is also a
proportionately higher demand for female students as societies become more
responsible to women in science careers. In the pasts many of the more prestigious
and more highly paid jobs have gone to men who have been trained in
science-based programs, such as medicine, engineering and technology. Since
girls have not studied science courses at school to the same extent, as boys,
such occupations have been filled by more men than women (Keeves and Kotte,
2001). Optimizing science ( and by extension to chemistry) achievement and at
the same time reducing differences in performance levels between boys and girls
may eventually lead to greater economic efficiency with a system. In this
process, gender differences can be reduced as increased opportunities become
available to girls (Kotte and Keeves, 2001). The theme of this research study
is timely. Detailed information is needed on how to reduce gender differences
in chemistry achievement and how to improve the achievement level of all
students in Chemistry.
The
study of chemistry is important in all aspects of life. In Nigeria chemistry is
among the key subjects used for selective advancement in the education system.
However the teaching and learning of chemistry in schools is not at its best.
Practically, all students believe that chemistry is important for life after
school and yet both boys and girls demonstrate some negativity towards the
subject. They perceive the subject as difficult and uninteresting and thus are
based in the selections they make, often not considering the subject requirement
needed for future careers.
While
most people in our society recognize and appreciate the essential role of
chemistry in everyday life, it remains one of the poorly performed subjects in
the NECO national examination council (NECO, 2005). In addition, gender
disparity in performance does exist. The gravity of the problem in performance
is shown in table 1.1 below.
Table 1.1 NECO percentage mean scores in
chemistry from 2000 to 2006 at national level by gender.
|
Year
|
Girls
|
Boys
|
|
2000
|
26
|
28
|
|
2001
|
26
|
29
|
|
2002
|
30
|
33
|
|
2003
|
29
|
32
|
|
2004
|
30
|
34
|
|
2005
|
28
|
32
|
|
2006
|
23
|
27
|
Chemistry
is an important branch of science taught in the senior secondary schools. It
enables students to understand what happens in the world they live in and how
it contributes to the quality of life on our Planet (Ware, 2001). Chemistry
curricular commonly incorporate many abstract concepts, which are central to
further learning in both chemistry and other sciences (Taber, 2002). Chemistry
topics are generally related to or based on the structure of matter, and proved
to be a difficult subject for many students (Sirhan, 2007).
Attitude,
motivation, and genuine interest are the most important student characteristics
with successful studies (Dalgety et al, 2003, (Berg, 2005).
Attitude
towards chemistry is essential, it denotes interests or feelings towards
studying chemistry. Attitude and academic achievement are important outcomes of
science education in secondary schools students’ attitude and interests could
play substantial role in students decision to study science (Abiodun, 2009).
Objectives
of the study
The
study was guided by the following objectives:
a) To
identify the differences between boys and girls in chemistry achievement
b) To
determine the main factors that are associated with gender differences in
chemistry achievement
c) To
identify attitudinal and aspirational levels of students towards chemistry.
Research
questions
The
study attempted to answer the following questions.
i)
Is there any ability differences between
boys and girls in the chemistry achievements
ii)
Is there any significant teacher factors
associated with gender differences in school chemistry achievement?
iii)
What differences are there in
attitudinal and aspirational expressions by boys and girls towards learning
school chemistry?
Research
Hypothesis
i.
There is no ability differences between
boys and girls in the chemistry achievement
ii.
There are no significant teacher factors
associated with gender differences in school chemistry achievement
iii.
There are no differences in the
attitudinal and inspirational expressions by boys and girls towards learning
school chemistry
Significance
of the study
The
findings of the study will be hopefully beneficial to the following
a.
Chemistry teachers: Teachers are the
implementers of any school chemistry
curriculum. The research findings will sensitize them on the intervention
strategies suggested to help to improve achievements of boys and girls in
chemistry and in particular close the gender gap in chemistry achievements.
b.
Chemistry learners: The researcher
findings would help secondary school students to identify the particular areas
that give them problems in chemistry. They will therefore benefit from the
suggestions given on how to improve performance in the different ability areas
c.
Chemistry teacher trainers: The results
of the research will be sued to sensitize teacher trainers on how teacher’s
characteristics affect performance in chemistry and how they can be avoided to
help bridge the gender gap
d.
Text book authors: The findings will
enable textbooks authors to prepare materials for chemistry learning and
teaching devoid of any gender bias.
Scope
of study
The
study dealt with students and their teachers in stratified randomly selected
public secondary schools in Ikere Local Government area of Ekiti State.
Definitions
of terms
In
this study, the following terms were used for the purpose and with the
intention as explained below:
Achievement
test:
Is a test developed and used primarily to find out how much students have
learnt in a given domain or area of the curriculum
Attitude
scale: Instrument purporting to measure emotions, values
and feelings related to a particular discipline or subject.
Chemistry:
Is a branch of science that deals with study of nature and properties of all
forms of matter and the various changes that these substances undergo in
different conditions.
Gender:
Refers to social and cultural construction and representative of being ‘male’
and ‘female’
Science:
Is a vast body of connected knowledge of theories and facts developed by
scientists through scientific methods.
Spatial
ability: The capacity to visualize objects in
three-dimensional space. It is a measure of student’s ability to think and
reason using imagery.
Organization
of the thesis
This
thesis has been divided into five chapters, chapter one outlines the context of
the study including the background, statement of the problem, student objects,
research questions, significance of the study, scope and limitations and
definition of terms. Chapter two reviews literature with regard to the study.
This is reviewed under four subsections factors that influence the learning of
science, gender differences in learning science, Biological and
socio-psychological theory. Chapter three provides the methodology. It includes
the design and location of the study, sampling methods, research instruments
and data collection procedures and the rationale for choosing them. Chapter
four presents, analyses, the data collected and discusses the results, the
discussions are based on the research questions touching on all variables
related to gender differences in chemistry achievements as mentioned in the
study.
Finally
chapter five summarizes the findings and gives conclusion of the study. Also
suggestions for additional research are given. A bibliography and appendices
are presented at the end of the thesis
