Abstract
Junior secondary schools’ achievement in Basic Science continues to fall below expectations, despite several interventions by multiple stakeholders. Hence, there is need to research more on gender effects on the delivery of Basic Science curricula content. This study, therefore, examined the effect of gender on Basic Science students’ academic achievement in secondary school. A pre-test, post-test, non-equivalent, control group, quasi experimental research design was adopted. Two intact classes of seventy-two (72) JSS 2 students (30 males and 42 females) were randomly selected from public secondary schools for the study State Nigeria. The selected classes were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. A 25-item validated instrument titled Basic Science Achievement Test (BSAT) designed by the researchers was used for data collection. The reliability coefficient of the BSAT was 0.81 using Kuder-Richardson’s formula 20 (K-R 20). Data collected were analyzed using Means, Standard deviation and Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The findings of the study revealed that gender (male/female) had no significant effect on students’ achievement in Basic Science and finally, result showed that there was significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on students’ academic performance in Basic Science. Therefore, it was recommended that students should be given equal opportunity and the same level of encouragement irrespective of their level and gender. Key words: Academic achievement, basic science, gender, secondary school.
Highlights
Integrated science, Basic Science is the first form of science a learner comes across at the secondary school level; Basic Science prepares students at the junior secondary school level for the study of core science subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) at the senior secondary school level
The following research questions were raised to guide the study: 1) What is the influence of gender on academic achievement of Basic Science students in Enugu Education zone? 2) What are the mean post-test achievement scores of male and female Basic Science students exposed to treatment in Enugu Education zone? 3) What are the mean retention scores of male and female students exposed to experimental control in Enugu Education zone?
Ho2: There is no significant difference in the mean achievement scores of male and female students exposed to treatment and their counterparts in the control group
Summary
Integrated science, Basic Science is the first form of science a learner comes across at the secondary school level; Basic Science prepares students at the junior secondary school level for the study of core science subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) at the senior secondary school level. Basic Science is a subject which embraces some core science subjects, namely: biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. Basic Science is a subject that cut across the school curriculum and needed in all branches of science, applied science and social sciences. Students have to be well grounded in Basic Science at the junior secondary.
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