COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE ATTITUDE OF MALE AND FEMALE STUDENTS TO MATHEMATICS AND THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OVIA NORTH EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, EDO STATE

ABSTRACT

This study focused on the Comparative attitude of male and female students to Mathematics and their academic performance in public senior secondary schools in Ovia North East local government area, Edo state. The purpose of the study was to investigate the attitudes of male and female students towards the study of Mathematics in public senior secondary schools in Ovia North East local government area, Edo state and to compare the attitudes of male and female students toward the study of Mathematics. It was also to discover, the performance of male and female students to Mathematics in public senior secondary schools in Ovia North East local government area, Edo state. The study employed descriptive research design. The population of the study covered twenty-eight (28) public senior secondary schools and four thousand, three hundred and seven (4,307) public senior secondary school students in Ovia North East local government area, Edo state. Four (4) senior secondary schools were chosen using simple random technique and one hundred (100) students. The research instrument was a 10 questionnaire. Frequency table and mean score analysis was used for data analysis. The findings of this study revealed that both male and female students have a positive attitude to Mathematics. Also it revealed that female students do not perform well academically in Mathematics and that there's a difference in the academic performance of male students in Mathematics in public senior secondary schools in Ovia North East local government area, Edo state. At the end of the findings, it was concluded that in spite of the positive attitude of male students to Mathematics, not all male students perform well academically in Mathematics. Furthermore, female students have positive attitude to Mathematics but do not perform well academically. Recommendations to this study were made; both male and female students should develop a positive attitude to Mathematics, male or female students not so good in Mathematics should be given more attention to by the teachers.