The Effects of Gender and Mathematics Ability on Academic Performance of Students in Chemistry

Abstract

This research was designed to investigate the effect of gender and mathematics ability on academic performance of students in Chemistry. The sample size comprises one hundred (100) SS 1 chemistry students in two secondary schools in Uyo metropolis. The instruments used were the Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) and the Mathematics Ability Test (MAT). Independent t-test statistic tool was used to analyze the data collected. The result of the test indicated that gender does not have any significant effect on the academic performance of students in Chemistry. It was also observed that students with high mathematics ability performed significantly better than those with low mathematics ability in chemistry. From the findings of the study, it was recommended that both male and female chemistry students should equally be encouraged to excel in their studies and that science students who choose chemistry as a core subject should be made to understand the importance and relationship between mathematics and chemistry and apply themselves seriously to their studies.