GENDER DIFFERENCE AND INFLUENCE OF SCHOOL TYPE ONSTUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN CHEMISTRY IN SOMESELECTED SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KANO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study aims at assessing whether there is a significant gender difference between the senior secondary school
students’ Academic achievement in chemistry of boarding and day students in some selected secondary schools
in Kano, Nigeria. The study formulated three questions to answer (1) What is the level of Academic achievement
of some selected female senior secondary school students in chemistry in Kano state, Nigeria? (2) What is the
level of Academic achievement of some selected male senior secondary school students in chemistry in Kano
state, Nigeria? (3) What is the Academic achievement of male and female secondary schools in chemistry in Kano
state? And three null hypotheses H0: There is no significant gender difference between Academic achievement
of boarding and day students in Chemistry in some selected schools in Kano. Based on the design of this study
which is an ex-post facto and a cross-sectional design, empirical data were collected from eight senior secondary
schools within Kano metropolitan comprising four schools each of boarding and day as well as for boys’ and girls’
schools. The sample size of 346 was proportionately selected from the total population of 3467 selected by
stratified sampling. Results of chemistry Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) by National
Examination Council (NECO) of 2015/2016, 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 sessions were used for the research. The
data were analysed using mean and standard deviation. The relationship between the Academic achievement of
the boarding and the day students was determined using Pearson-Moment Co - relation Co-efficient (PMCC)
where the r - value showed strong positive relation, and based on the t-test it reveals that there is significant
difference between the students’ Academic achievement in chemistry of the boarding and the day students in
Kano State, Nigeria. The null hypotheses were accepted based on the t-values of t-calculated that were less than
t-critical values tested at 0.05 alpha - value, except that for females’ achievement which revealed that type of
school attended has influenced their achievement. Some recommendations were given to teachers, education
managements, stakeholders in educations and Kano state government on how to increase teacher’ and parents’
awareness on girl child education, especially chemistry which is one of the basic requirement for studies in tertiary
institutions.