Gender differences in mathematics achievement of senior high school students in selected districts in the Central region of Ghana

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences in mathematics achievement of senior high school students in selected districts in the Central Region of Ghana. The study was conducted in four districts in the Central Region of Ghana. The research questions/hypothesis addressed in the study were: The study sought to determine the overall mathematics achievement of senior high school boys and girls in the selected schools and to examine differences in the mathematics achievement of senior high school boys and girls from single-sex and mixed schools and finally to explore gender differences in single-sex and mixed senior high school students‟ perceived ability in, and attitude to, mathematics. The study included an extensive literature survey in order to identify related studies. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research methods. A sample of 240 students was taken from four districts in the Central Region of Ghana for the study. The data instruments used in the study were test and questionnaire. Test was given to students to test ability and questionnaire also given after the test to help determine the opinions, attitudes, preferences and perceptions of persons of interest to a study. The data analysis procedure used included two main phases: the use of inferential statistics and the qualitative data analysis. The findings of this study revealed girls from the single-sex female schools and girls in mixed schools achieve better than boys in single-sex male school and boys in mixed schools. It also revealed that girls have reached parity with boys in mathematics. It was also in agreement with the narrow gender gap in achievement in other countries where similar studies were done. It was recommended that school authorities, teaching and learning of mathematics at the SHS level should be strengthened in mixed schools. Also in drawing school achievement plans, must endeavour to add exchange programmes internally to help increase the depth and quality of mathematics learning, since at the moment very little of this is seen at the SHS level in Ghana.