A STUDY OF GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE ATTITUDE OF STUDENTS TO SCIENCE SUBJECTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL IN OSUN STATE

Abstract

This study is on the gender differences in the attitude of students to science subjects in secondary school in Osun State. The total population for the study is 200 staff of selected secondary schools in Iwo local government of Osun state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up principals, vice principals administration, senior staff and junior staff was used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study

Sex differences in humans have been studied in a variety of fields. In humans, biological sex is determined by five factors present at birth: the presence or absence of a Y chromosome, the type of gonads, the sex hormones, the internal reproductive anatomy (such as the uterus in females), and the external genitalia. People with mixed sex factors are intersex. People whose gender identity (their internal sense of their own gender) differs from their biological sex are transgender, transsexual or gender queer. A distinction is sometimes made between sex and gender. Sex differences generally refer to traits that are sexually dimorphic. Such differences are hypothesized to be products of the evolutionary process of sexual selection. By contrast, the term gender differences refers to average group differences between males and females that are presumably based on sexually monomorphic (the same between the sexes) biological adaptations and these group differences are presumed to be due primarily to differential socialization. Gender differences in education are a type of sex discrimination in the education system affecting both men and women during and after their educational experiences. The introduction of the 6-3-3-4 system of education is one of the most important steps taken by the Nigerian government to ensure the country’s scientific and technological development. Even the modified 9-3-4 system is modified landmark by the government to bring about scientific and technological development. The awareness of the vital role of science and technology in national development has prompted both the developed and developing countries of the world to include science and technology subjects in their school curricula to carry out various educational reforms in such areas. In Africa, for example, the African Primary Science Program (APSP) was developed. With more national consciousness and the continued pressure of modern scientific demands, the Federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria, for example, started adopting a more science oriented policies and programmes in education. Through the help of such organs as the Nigeria Educational Research Council (NERC) and the Comparative Education Study and Adaptation Centre (CESAC), better-oriented curricula efforts began to emerge. A number of the new curriculum projects initiated were; the Core Curriculum in Primary Science, the Nigeria Secondary School Science Project, the Primary Education Improvement Project, the Nigeria Integrated Science Project, and the Federal Ministry of Education Core Curriculum Project for both Primary and Secondary School Science. In Nigeria, the National Policy on Education stipulates that secondary school education should equip students to live effectively in modern age of science and technology (Federal Ministry of Education – FME 2004). The proper teaching and handling of science and technology subjects in schools will result in the training of the minds of students in the understanding of the world around them in the acquisition of appropriate skills, capacities, competencies necessary for them to live and contribute to the development of their society. In pursuance of this, governments of many nations have planned that science and technical subjects should be taught in such a way as to ensure that every secondary school student has access to science and technology irrespective of sex and creed. In Nigeria for example, as a follow up of the Adebo commission, the 6-3-3-4 system of education was put in place. The three year junior secondary school education took care of pre-vocational subjects while the three year senior secondary catered for sciences and vocational subjects (Oriaifo 2002). The concept of science education is Science has been defined variously by different authors. Shapin (1996) defines science as the study of the physical and natural world and phenomena, especially by using systematic observation and experiment. In the view of Aigbomian and Imhanlahimi (1997), an operational definition of science is that advanced by the National Science Teachers Association 1963, which states that “Science is an accumulated and systemized learning in general usage restricted to the natural phenomenon. What science does is to expose one to the knowledge of the natural phenomenon and to the use of practical efforts to transform it to reality. A nation’s school is particularly suited for the education of the people through science because it is the only organized societal institution that holds the largest number of youth and anytime Nigeria needs

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Gender differences in education are a type of sex discrimination in the education system affecting both men and women during and after their educational experiences. The introduction of the 6-3-3-4 system of education is one of the most important steps taken by the Nigerian government to ensure the country’s scientific and technological development. Even the modified 9-3-4 system is modified landmark by the government to bring about scientific and technological development. In this background the researcher wants to investigate a study of gender differences in the attitude of students to science subjects in secondary schools

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the study are;

1. To ascertain whether gender differences affect science subjects performance of students in Osun state
2. To ascertain the relationship between gender differences and attitude of students to science subjects in Osun State
3. To ascertain whether gender differences of students affect only science subjects

1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

For the successful completion of the study, the following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher;

H₀: gender differences do not affect science subject’s performance of students in Osun state

H₁: gender differences affect science subject’s performance of students in Osun state.

H₀²: there is no gender differences and attitude of students to science subjects in Osun State

H₂: there is gender differences and attitude of students to science subjects in Osun State

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study, which is primarily aimed at explaining the gender differences in the attitude of students to sciences subjects in secondary schools, will provide an insight into the problems associated with gender differences in the attitude of students to science subjects in secondary schools. This report would be of great benefit for secondary schools teachers, to expose them to the gender differences in the attitude of student toward science subjects. The findings will be useful for researchers to further generate knowledge in the field.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the stud covers a study of gender differences in the attitude of students to science subjects in secondary school in Osun state. The researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study;

1. a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study
2. b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
3. c) Organizational privacy: Limited Access to the selected auditing firm makes it difficult to get all the necessary and required information concerning the activities

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

GENDER: Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to, and differentiating between, masculinity and femininity. Depending on the context, these characteristics may include biological sex, sex-based social structures, or gender identity.

GENDER DIFFERENCES: Sex differences in humans, or gender differences in humans, have been studied in a variety of fields. … By contrast, the term gender differences refers to average group differences between males and females that are presumably based on sexually monomorphic (the same between the sexes) biological adaptations

ATTITUDE: A settled way of thinking or feeling about something.

SCIENCE SUBJECT: Science education is the field concerned with sharing science content and process with. The science subject is one course up until year 11, meaning students learn in all of the branches giving them a broad idea of what science is all about.

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows

Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study

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