This
research work studied the relationship between student’s gender and academic
achievement in Computer Science in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi
State. Part of its purpose was also to compare the achievements of private and
public school students in Computer Studies. Two research questions were asked
to give focus to the study. Two hypotheses were also developed to be tested at
0.05 level of significance. The research design adopted for the study was the
expo-facto design since there was no special treatment given to the subjects
and there was no control group. The population of the study comprised of all
SS3 students in both private and public schools in Onicha Local Government
Area. Simple random sampling was used to draw two co-educational schools from
the study area - one private school and one public school. A total of 90
students composed the sample of the study. One instrument was used, Computer
Studies Achievement Test (CSAT), a 30-item multiple choice test developed by
the researcher for the purpose of data collection. CSAT was administered to the
students in the private and public schools, after which their scores were
recorded and used to answer the two research questions that guided the study
using mean and standard deviation, as well as test the two hypotheses at 0.05
level of significance, using independent samples t-test. The results of the
study showed that even though the female students had slightly better mean
achievement than the male students (mean females = 20.02, mean males = 18.91),
it was not significant (t=1.128, α = 0.263). The result of
the study also showed that the private school students achieved better than
their public school counterparts (mean private = 20.15, mean public = 18.98),
although the difference between their mean achievements was not significant
(t=1.150, α = 0.254). Based on the findings of this study, recommendations were
made. Parents were encouraged to provide the right education they can afford
for their children irrespective of gender. Also, there should be a deliberate
Federal Government policy to encourage absorbance of female students into
further study in computer science. Furthermore, it was recommended that
stakeholders in the education industry should make use of these findings and
try to research into ways of making gender sensitive policies.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
TITLE i
APPROVAL ii
DEDICATION iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv
ABSTRACT vi
LIST OF TABLES ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 background to the study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 5
1.3 Purpose of the Study 6
1.4 Significance of the Study 6
1.5. Scope of the Study 7
1.6 Research Questions 8
1.7 Hypotheses 8
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF
RELATED LITERATURE 9
2.1 Conceptual Framework 9
2.2 Theoretical Framework 15
2.3 Review of Related Empirical Studies 17
2.4 Summary of Literature Review 21
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 22
3.1 Design of the Study 22
3.2 Area of the Study 22
3.3 Population of the Study 23
3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique 23
3.5 Instrument for Data Collection 24
3.6 Validation of the Instrument 25
3.7 Reliability of the Instrument 25
3.8 Method of Data Collection 26
3.9 Method of Data Analysis 26
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS 27
Research Question 1: 27
Research Question 2: 28
Hypothesis 1: 28
Hypothesis 2: 29
Summary of Findings 30
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION
OF FINDINGS, EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS, LIMITATIONS, SUGGESTIONS
FOR FURTHER STUDIES, SUMMARY OF THE STUDY AND 31
5.1 Discussion of Findings 32
5.3 Recommendations 35
5.4 Limitations of the Study 35
5.5 Suggestions for Further Studies 36
5.6 Summary of the Study 36
5.7 Conclusion
References: 39
Appendix I 45
Table 1: Mean CSAT scores
of male and female students
Table 2: Mean CSAT
scores of students in private and public schools.
Table 3: T-test result
showing the effects of gender on the mean achievement scores of students.
Table 4: T-test result
showing the effects of school type on the mean achievement scores of students
Computer science is the study of the
theory, experimentation, and engineering that form the basis for the design and
use of computers. This requires knowing the computer itself, how it is operated,
what it can do, how it can do it and the reason it is doing it; these form the
basis of computer studies curriculum in secondary schools(Adigun, 2015). Computer
studies, a subject that is added newly to the senior secondary school curriculum
in Nigeria which exposes students to Information and Communications Technology
(ICT) needs to be accepted as a result of its comparable importance in this jet
age.
The
impediment to the low achievement of students in
secondary schools in
Nigeria has been
a great debate in the issues of
education. To overcome the impediment, it is important to know the root of such
impediment. Many causes have been looked into as the origin for under-seeking
the occurrence of failure or success in school. These causes are looked into
from several views including the role of the students, teachers, parents or
family, school environment, society, and government. Useful works among these
are effects of: student’s study habits (Obasoro & Ayodele 2012; Ayodele &
Adebiyi, 2013), school environment (Adesoji& Olatunbosun, 2008), teacher’s
competencies (Akiri & Ugborugbo,
2009), parent’s economic status (Osonwa, 2013), continuous assessment
(Okwu & Orum, 2012; Kolawole & Ala, 2014), educational funding (Ugwulashi,
2012). Though most authors has to be in harmony to elaborate failure from
several causes view where the occurrence is resolved at several levels, and
where multiple variables are involved.
Gender is one of such factors mentioned
in literature to have considerable effects on student’s academic performance
especially in science subjects. Gender is the range of physical, biological,
mental and behavioural characteristics pertaining to and differentiating
between the masculinity and femininity(male and female) population. The
importance of examining performance in relation to gender is primarily based on
the socio-cultural differences between boys and girls. Some vocations and
professions such as engineering, arts and crafts, agriculture, etc. have been
deemed as men’s exclusive reserve while others are considered women’s which
include catering, typing, nursing etc. In fact, parents assign task like car
washing, grass cutting, bulbs fixing, climbing ladders to fix or remove things
to the boys. On the other hand, chores like dish washing, cooking, cleaning and
the likes, are assigned to the girls. In summary, what are regarded as complex
and difficult tasks are allocated to boys whereas girls are expected to handle
the relatively easy and less demanding tasks. As a result of this way of
thinking, the larger society has tended to see girls as the weaker sex.
Consequently, an average Nigerian girl goes to school with these fixed
exaggerated conception in mind.
Many reasons have been assign for low
participation of girls in science. Some studies reported that females are
deficient in science because they lack analytical and visual-spatial skills
that are needed for abstract reasoning in science (Acker &Oatley, 2013).
However, this argument has been proved wrong because emerging evidence shows
that ability is not a determining factor in whether or not females would
participate in science. Girls and boys are found to perform equally well if
instructional context is fair and conducive (Erinosho, 2008; Campbell, Jolly,
Hoey& Perlman, 2012).
Some researchers reported that girls
performed better, in some others boys do. Okwo and Otunba (2007) reported that
gender influence performance by 13.39% of the total influence factor. Aremu
(2009) reported that boys are better than girls in Mathematics and other
science subjects. Toh (2013) found that girls out performed boys in some other
school subjects, while some other researchers found no difference in some
cognitive tasks involving both boys and girls. Collis (2011) argued that
secondary school policies requiring mathematics pre-requisites or co-requisites
for work with computers always encourage greater participation of the male
gender. If there is a single computing laboratory, it may be seen as a male
territory. If computer resources are concentrated in the mathematics, science,
and technology areas of the curriculum, many girls have no access to them.
Okwo and Otunba (2007) reported that
boys performed better than girls in physics essay test. The joint influence of
cognitive style and gender on the achievement of students in physics essay test
was significant. Hedges and Nowell (2015) found no or slight gender differences
in overall mathematics achievement, numerical ability, mathematics computation,
concepts, and problem-solving.
While
females used to lag behind males in a number of mathematics and science courses
taken, in 2000, they now participated in the same or nearly the same number
(Coley, 2011).
The importance of computer and ICT to
nation building cannot be overstated. The significance of computer and ICT to
nation building has led the federal government of Nigeria to make it a core
subject offered to all students from primary to secondary education (FRN,
2008). In spite of the importance of computer studies among Nigerian students, differences
in male and female performances have been noted, with males having slightly
better performances than their female counterparts (WAEC Chief Examiner’s
Report, 2012).
In view of the belief that student’s
gender may have impact on the student’s academic achievement in science, this
study will investigate the relationship between them in Computer Studies.
Gender gap in academic performance of
students in schools is one among the problems that are attracting public
concern and outcry in Nigeria today. This observable difference has been blamed
on a number of factors including social, economic and cultural stereotyping.
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 focusing on gender
difference in academic performance in SSCE Computer Studies have been conducted
especially in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. In
addition, among the few researches conducted on gender disparity in academic
performance of secondary schools in Ebonyi State, none of the researchers gave
a conclusive answer as to whether differences exist between the academic
achievement of secondary school male and female students in science subjects.
Several
studies have been conducted in the areas of gender-related differences in the
academic achievement of students in science. It has been noted that males
achieve better than females in Computer Studies. Males tend to achieve better
in Computer Studies tests and examinations than females Okwo and Otumba (2007)
and Aremu (2009). In some cases, females measure better achievement than males
(Toh 2013). Consequent upon this, this study was conducted to compare the
achievements of senior secondary male and female students in Computer Studies
in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Due to the significance of computer and Information
and Communications Technology (ICT) to nation building, the issue of gender
differences in the academic achievement of the students in Computer Studies should
be investigated. The purpose of this study is therefore to compare differences
in mean achievement of male and female senior secondary school students in
Computer Studies. Specifically, the study seeks to:
i. Compare the academic achievement of secondary
school male and female students in Computer Studies.
ii.
Compare the academic achievement
of secondary school students in private and public schools in Computer Studies.
The result of this study would be
helpful to Computer Studies teachers in secondary schools as well as the
Ministry of Education in Nigeria.
Computer Studies teachers will benefit
from this study as the result of the study will guide them to re-enforce or
re-evaluate their methods of instruction, as well as instructional materials
used, so as to bring about gender balance in student’s achievements in Computer
Studies. The results of this study will guide teachers on whether to separate
instructional techniques for males and females.
The study also examines the relationship
between the achievement of students in private and public schools. The result
of this study will be helpful to the Nigerian Ministry of Education to guide
them in formulating the best policies regarding the teaching and learning of
Computer Studies in secondary schools in both private and secondary schools. It
will help the Ministry of Education to review the Computer Studies curriculum
of secondary schools so as to improve its effectiveness.
This study compares the achievement of
male and female students in Computer Studies in secondary schools in Onicha
Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. It is also directed at determining the
relationship between students' achievement in private and public schools. The
study is focused on determining the achievement between senior secondary school
male and female students in Computer Studies, as well as the achievement
between private and public secondary school students in Computer Studies.
The following research questions guided
the study:
1. Is
there any difference between the mean achievement of male and female students
in Computer Studies?
2. Is
there any difference between the mean achievement of students in private and
public secondary schools in Computer Studies?
The following hypotheses were tested at
0.05 level of significance:
HO1:
There is no significant difference
between the mean achievement of male and female students in Computer Studies.
HO2:
There is no significant difference
between the mean achievement of students in private and public secondary
schools in Computer Studies.
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