Male Secondary School Students Research Articles

Perception of Nigerian School Boys on the Influence of Contrasting Geographical Locations on Participation in Soccer

The paper investigated the extent to which geographical locations influenced male secondary school students' level of participation in amateur soccer within Zaria and Benin metropolis in the 2006/2007 school year. It also sought to ascertain if relative changes in geographical locations influenced the welfare of soccer players and examined the influence of landscape patterns on participants. A total of 836 respondents formed the sampling unit. Percentages were used to analyse the data for the study. Hindrances to soccer participation in Zaria were cold weather which was attested by (81.5%) respondents, hot weather (78.94%), low humidity (71.05%) and cold winds (69.46%). In Benin metropolis, impediments to soccer participation were reported to be rainfall (83%), thunderstorms (78%), hot weather (70%) and lightning (53.9%). Amateur soccer participants in Zaria were influenced by expenditure on accommodation (84.21%), feeding and first aid treatment (60.42%). However, in Benin metropolis influence on feeding and accommodation recorded (66.82%) while first aid treatment attracted (55%) rating. Although (63.1%) respondents in Zaria, indicated that soccer pitches were undulating, (73.68%) claimed they were dry during the dry season. Some soccer pitches remained dry between May and July, a period that usually experiences some rainfall in Nigeria. Also, (92%) respondents in Benin metropolis remarked that soccer pitches were waterlogged particularly during periods of heavy rainfall, between April and October yearly. The results call for differential planning strategies in organizing soccer training and competition in these two divergent geographical areas in Nigeria.

Age- and Gender-Specific Smoothed Waist Circumference Percentiles for Kuwaiti Adolescents

Objective: To ascertain abdominal obesity prevalence (waist circumference, WC) in adolescents and to develop smoothed WC percentile charts for Kuwaiti adolescents for public health use. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study of 4,219 healthy Kuwaiti male and female secondary school students between the ages of 11–19 years was examined. Adolescents were drawn from all geographical regions of the country, as part of the Kuwait Nutrition Surveillance Program (KNSP). The KNSP consists of yearly data collections of variables, including weights, heights, and WCs and several sociodemographic variables. LMS regression was used to develop smoothed WC percentile curves. The final percentile curves presented are the result of smoothing three age-specific curves, termed lambda (L), mu (M), and sigma (S) for each gender. Results: Between 5.9 and 12.8% of females and 8.0–30.3% males had WC values ≧90th percentile. Moreover, the mean WC of males was consistently higher than those of females at each age and the percent of adolescents who exceed the 90th percentile increased with age in males, but not in females. Conclusion: Mean WC was higher in males than in females at every age. In most cases, two to three times greater percentages of males, compared to females, equaled or exceeded the 90th percentile, a value frequently associated with higher cardiovascular risk. These results indicate the urgent need to reduce abdominal obesity, an important indicator of the metabolic syndrome, in Kuwaiti adolescents.

Creating the conditions for educational change: learning styles and gender

This study identifies the learning styles of 1,289 secondary school students and indicates gender differences. Two conclusions were forthcoming: 1 the similar student distribution in each of the learning style typologies 2 the significant differences that exist between the different styles of male and female secondary school students. Female students prefer organised learning environments in which they can interact with the teachers and work with their peers. They are also comfortable working with abstract concepts taught in class and in debates. Male students prefer to work on their own and towards achieving individual aims, using organised language oriented materials.

Extent to Which Selected Factors Contribute to Alcohol and Cigarette Use among Public Day Secondary Schools Male Students: A Case of Nakuru Municipality, Kenya

The increase in alcohol and cigarettes use among young people than any population strata is of great concern. The use of alcohol that began in African traditional society as an activity for political, religious, cultural and social relations has evolved over time into a problem of dependence and addiction. Despite concerted prevention efforts, there is still evidence of high prevalence of these drugs among students. As part of the prevention efforts, studies have been conducted to unravel etiological complexities of this drug use problem. This study sought to examine the extent to which the family factors, peer-group influence, exposure to pro-alcohol and cigarettes mass media content and level of self-esteem contribute to the use of alcohol and cigarettes among male students in public day secondary schools in Nakuru municipality, Kenya. To achieve this purpose, ex post facto research design was used and independent variables were studied retrospectively. Multistage cluster, Probability Proportionate to Size and purposive sampling methods were used to select the participating schools and respondents. A sample size of 327 students was selected from total population of 2279 from nine sampled schools. A self- administered questionnaire was used to collect data on students’ demographic and background characteristics, level of self reported alcohol and cigarettes use and social influences (parents, siblings and peers and exposure to pro-alcohol and cigarettes mass media content) that promote use of these drugs. Rosenberg self-esteem scale was used to measure respondents’ self-esteem. Data was analyzed by use of frequencies, percentages, cross-tabulation, Chisquare and logistic regression. SPSS version 15.0 computer program was used to aid in data analysis. The study established that Peer- group influence had the greatest contribution to high alcohol and cigarettes use, followed by family factors. The selected factors accounted for 44% of high alcohol and cigarettes use collectively. These findings may be useful in prioritizing targets for prevention and intervention programs.

Correlates of condom use among sexually experienced secondary school male students in Nairobi, Kenya

This study aimed to examine perceptual factors associated with condom use, and the relationship between condom use and the timing of sexual debut among male secondary school students in Nairobi, Kenya. Data are from the TeenWeb study, a school-based project that used the World Wide Web to assess the health needs of secondary school students, and tested the web's utility as a teaching and research modality. Analyses are based on 214 sexually experienced males aged 14 – 20 years who completed webbased questionnaires about their sexual attitudes and behaviour. Results indicate that students did not see themselves as susceptible to HIV/AIDS and believed condom effectiveness in preventing HIV to be low. Consequently, only a marginal association was found between agreeing that buying condoms is embarrassing and condom use at first sexual intercourse. However, contrary to expectation, agreeing that condoms often break (almost half of participants) was associated with a higher likelihood of condom use at first sex. Each year of delay in sexual debut increased the likelihood of using a condom at first sex by 1.44 times. In turn, having used a condom at first sex increased the likelihood of using one at the most recent sex by 4.81 times, and elevated general condom use (‘most or all the time’) by 8.76 times. Interventions to increase awareness about the role of condoms in preventing HIV, delay sexual initiation, and teach proper condom use among secondary-school students in Nairobi are needed.

How Morality and Religiosity Relate to Intelligence: A Case Study of Mathematically Gifted Adolescents

Summary In this article we explore the moral and religious reasoning of mathematically gifted adolescents (N = 20) who attend a special boarding school for gifted students in Finland. Th e sample consists of 11 female and 9 male fi rst-year upper secondary school students (M age = 16.25, SD age = 0.444). Th e participants’ intelligence and their moral and religious reasoning were measured by means of the following instruments: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III (WAIS-III); Defi ning Issues Test (DIT); and Religious Judgment Test (RJT) respectively. Th e research design was correlational and included the following three research questions: (1) How is intelligence related to moral thinking? (2) How is intelligence related to religious thinking? (3) How are moral and religious thinking related to each other? Results regarding the fi rst research question showed that moral reasoning was related to intelligence. However, WAIS-III scores were not positively linked to the DIT scores within this highly gifted sample. Results regarding the second research question showed that the most intelligent young adults were more opposed to the lowest and highest forms of religious reasoning than their less intelligent peers. Results regarding the last research question showed that the level of moral thinking was negatively related to both the lowest and the highest stages of religious judgement, but positively related to the third religious orientation stage (ego autonomy and one-sided self-responsibility).

Correlates of condom use among sexually experienced secondary school male students in Nairobi, Kenya

Correlates of condom use among sexually experienced secondary school male students in Nairobi, Kenya

The prevalence pattern of external male genital defects among secondary school students in Enugu State of Nigeria.

Enugu State typifies a Third World environment where most deliveries occur outside the hospital setting. In such circumstances, hospital-based data about congenital defects are unreliable and call for special methods of approach. To determine the prevalence and pattern of male external genital defects in Igbo male secondary school students in Nigeria. Samples of male students aged 10 years and above seen in randomly selected secondary schools in Enugu State, of South-East Nigeria were guided through a protocol involving, self administered questionnaires, personal interviews and physical examinations for evidence and types of anomalies present in their external genitalia. The participating schools were selected by stratified random sampling; first by local government Areas (LGA) and then by schools. Consents for the study were obtained from Local Government Authorities, Heads of the schools and Parents' Teachers Associations, (PTA) Executives. Altogether, four urban and thirteen rural schools were studied, and a total of 6225 male students participated. Overall, 416 (6.8%) were identified with various types of external genital anomalies, with the prevalence observed being within, the ranges of population prevalence reported in the literature. The commonest types of anomalies encountered were crypto- orchidism with / or without scrotal hypoplasia 268 (4.30%), inguino- scrotal 56 (0.90%), and hydrocoeles 52 (0.83%). As many as 183 (44%) of those with congenital genital defects were not aware that they had them. External male genital defects among Igbos appear to be within the prevalence rate reported in the literature. However the ignorance rate of such defects is high within the Igbo society.

Bully victimisation and psychosocial health in adolescents: Gender differences in depression, anxiety, social problems, and perceived wellness

AbstractThe present study aimed to investigate the relationships among bully victimisation and psychosocial health in terms of depression, anxiety, social problems, and perceived wellness. The study also endeavoured to evaluate the gender differences associated with each of these psychosociol variables across varying levels of victimisation. The sample consisted of 180 female and 198 male secondary school students, who each completed a questionnaire package containing scales measuring bully victimisation and psychosocial health. Results indicated that repeated victimisation was associated with heightened levels of depression and anxiety, a greater incidence of social problems, and poorer perceptions of wellbeing. However, being bullied had a greater impact on the perceived wellness of males when compared with females. The results also revealed that social problems may mediate the relationship between depression, perceived wellness, and level of victimisation. It was concluded that bully victimisation is associated with poorer psychosacial health in both male and female adolescents. However, future research should evaluate other potential mediating or moderating relationships between bully victimisation and psychosocial health.

Adolescents' Perceptions of HIV/AIDS Pandemic in Enugu Urban, Nigeria

The adolescents' perception about HIV/AIDS pandemic is the main focus of this study. The study sought to find the perceptions of male and female secondary school students and its relevance to the counseling profession. Three research questions and a null hypothesis was formulated to guide the study. The study sample consisted of 200 respondents from four different co-educational schools in Enugu Urban of Enugu state. A four-point Likert-type questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were analyzed using means and standard deviations for the research questions and t-test statistics for the null hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study indicated that adolescents are aware of the spread of HIV/AIDS and the need for guidance and counseling services. Further analysis showed that there is no significant difference between the perceptions of the male and female adolescents about the spread of HIV/AIDS. The results were discussed, their implications highlighted and recommendations made. Keywords: HIV/AIDS; Pandemic; Perception' Adolescents The Nigerian Journal of Guidance and Counselling Vol. 11 (1) 2006: pp. 118-126

An investigation of sex differences in attitude towards physics

Increasing research have documented sex differences in attitude towards physics of male and female secondary school students. In fact, physics is said to enjoy very low rating among girls. If this trend is not checked, the dream of having more talented females to meet the manpower levels needed to aid science and technological growth and development might be jeopardized. This study was therefore undertaken to investigate whether sex differences still exist in attitude towards physics. An attitude towards Physics Questionnaire was administered on 460 senior secondary II physics students from twelve schools in Oyo-State. Data analysis revealed that both male and female students were positively disposed to physics, even though females were better disposed than males. There was no significant difference between the attitudes of both males and females towards physics. Attempt should be made however to investigate sex differences in students' attitude to other science subjects. African Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Sport Facilitation Vol. 6 2004: 29-33

Increasing Physical Activity in Individuals With Autism

This study investigated the outcomes of an intervention package on participation in tWo physical activities: snoWshoeing and Walking/jogging. Three male secondary school students Who had been diagnosed With autism and Were attending a school for students With intellectual disabilities participated in a 6-month outdoor physical activity program. The authors used a changing conditions design; the program Was divided into six phases by the amount of edible reinforcers provided during sessions. A self-monitoring board, verbal cuing, and edible reinforcers Were used in the study. Distance snoWshoed, Walked, and jogged per 30-min session increased as edible and verbal reinforcement decreased. The results suggest that interventions can be developed to promote sustained participation in physical activity for individuals With autism.

Gender and students' interests in organic chemistry topics at the senior secondary level

The study is a reflection on the processes of the teaching and learning of science with special attention on gender influence in students' interests in learning organic chemistry in Senior Secondary Schools. Gender studies is gaining wide research attention today and there is increased awareness of activities for eradicating the age long, traditional and stereotyped practices which debar the participation of women in various educational activities in the Nigerian society and even globally. In the present study, patterns of Nigerian Senior Secondary School male and female students' interests in some topics in organic chemistry were examined. 480 male students and 320 female students were sampled using a questionnaire constructed on a Likerttype scale. There are seven major organic chemistry topics in the secondary school curriculum and students indicated high interest in five topics; hydrocarbons, alkanols & alkanoic acids, soap & detergents and margarine and basic classes of compound in living organisms. Both male and female ratings were high but they differed significantly in their ratings on two topics. Popularization of performance enhancement programmes and activities were suggested for all agents associated with the teaching and learning of science in schools and homes. Gender and Behaviour Vol. 4(1) 2006: 522-533

Comparison of Death Anxiety in Two Groups Tested during and after (1986 and 1991) the Lebanese Civil War

Death anxiety was assessed in two groups, one during the civil war in Lebanon (1986) and one after the cessation (1991). For two samples (n1=673, n2=616) of Lebanese male and female secondary school and university students no significant mean between-group (time) differences were found. However, the females had higher mean scores on death anxiety in all comparisons

Gender and racial differences in vocational education: an international perspective

PurposeSeeks to examine the extent to which education systems around the world embrace vocational schooling and the degree to which exposure to vocational schooling differs by gender and race.Design/methodology/approachUses distributional analysis applied to cross‐country data from Unesco to examine shares of secondary school students enrolled in the vocational track, by gender. Also uses descriptive statistics based on US Department of Education data to examine fields of study within the vocational track.FindingsThe emphasis on vocational education and access to different types of training across demographic groups varies considerably around the world. European countries in particular, long known for their heavy emphasis on specialized vocational schooling, have relatively high vocational school shares in secondary school. At the other end of the distribution, almost 30 countries in the sample, most of them low‐income, have vocational school shares below 4 percent. In the majority of countries, a higher share of male secondary school students enroll in the vocational track compared with female students. Latin American countries stand out for having a high female representation among vocational school students. In the USA, male students cluster in trade and industrial courses, while female students cluster in business preparation courses. Also, white students are relatively concentrated in the trades, black and Hispanic students cluster in business courses, and Asian students are concentrated in technical courses.Originality/valueThese stylized facts set the stage for new research on vocational education and for new policy initiatives that create new opportunities for specialization in vocational training.

HIV Risk Behaviors and the Context of Sexual Coercion in Young Adults’ Sexual Interactions: Results From a Diary Study in Rural South Africa

Gender inequalities in relationship power may promote unprotected sexual intercourse. The goal of this study was to gain insight into the specific gender dynamics in the intimate relationships of rural South African young adults that contribute to risk for HIV infection. Using diary methods, 25 female and 25 male secondary school students in rural South Africa provided daily reports (N = 1000) over a 3-week timeframe, including details regarding 466 sexual interactions. Inconsistent condom use was more likely in relationships in which the male partner had ever used threat or force to engage in sex during this period (unadjusted odds ratio, 13.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.57-114.26). Male sexual coercion was more likely in relationships in which alcohol was ever used in conjunction with sex and when a man's desire to engage in sex was perceived as greater than the woman's. This study adds to the growing evidence that sexual relationships characterized by gender inequality and sexual coercion are contexts of sexual risk.

What Chinese Adolescents Think About Quitting Smoking: A Qualitative Study

The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of Chinese adolescents toward smoking, giving up smoking, and smoking cessation programs presently available. The study was a qualitative study carried out in 2002 by focus groups of 32 male secondary school students in Hong Kong who were either current smokers or had recently given up smoking. Subjects were students (grades 8–10) attending two full-day secondary schools in Hong Kong. Participants did not feel the need to make any serious psychological preparation for quitting. They underestimated the addictive nature of cigarette smoking and felt that they could choose to quit smoking at any time with little difficulty. Several barriers to quitting were reported, including boredom, peer influence, the urge to smoke, school work pressure, the wish to do something with their hands, difficulty in concentrating, and the ready availability of free cigarettes from peers. Those who had attempted to quit smoking (26/32) reported that peer influence and boredom were the main reasons why they started smoking and insisted that willpower and determination could have helped them in their quitting attempt. Participants were unanimous that pressure or encouragement from teachers, parents, or girlfriends did not help them to stay off cigarettes. Most (24/32) of the current smokers knew that smoking cessation services were available in Hong Kong, only 50% (12/24) of those who knew had made use of such services. None of the participants were able to identify any effective way of quitting smoking, though some suggested that the best practical measure was to avoid friends who smoked. The study suggests that attempts to persuade young people to quit smoking might benefit if they were framed to address issues such as the strong influence of their peers, the ease with which tobacco products can be obtained, the casual attitudes of young people toward smoking cessation, the perceived pros and cons of quitting, and (given that underage smoking is frowned upon by many parents and teachers) the need to respect confidentiality when offering support.

Supportive social relationships and adolescent health risk behavior among secondary school students in El Salvador

An increasing number of studies suggest that supportive social relationships in the family and school may exert a protective effect against a number of youth health risk behaviors. This study examines the association between perceived parental social support and perceived social cohesion at school with selected youth risk behavior outcomes (physical fighting, victimization, suicidal ideation, substance use, and sexual intercourse) among 930 female and male public secondary school students studying in the central region of El Salvador. The study questionnaire comprised closed-ended items of parent/school relationships and risk behaviors based on the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey. In regression analyses, female students who perceived low parental social support were significantly more likely to report engaging in all risk behaviors examined, and female students with perceptions of low school social cohesion were more likely to report suicidal ideation, binge drinking, and drug use. Perceptions of parental social support and school social cohesion held fewer but still significant associations across risk behaviors for male students. Male students who reported low parental social support were significantly more likely to report suicidal ideation, drug use and physical fighting, while male students with low perceived school social cohesion were more likely to report physical fighting but less likely to report binge drinking. This study lends support to the importance of supportive social relationships for understanding youth risk behavior and suggests that supportive families and schools may operate differently for female and male students living in El Salvador.

Machine learning models of problem space navigation: The influence of gender

We have developed models of how problem spaces are navigated as male and female secondary school, university, and medical students engage in repetitive complex problem solving. The strategies that students used when solving problem-solving simulations were first classified with self-organizing artificial neural networks resulting in problem solving strategy maps. Next, learning trajectories were developed from sequences of performances by Hidden Markov Modeling that stochastically described students' progress in understanding different domains. Across middle school to medical school there were few gender differences in the proportion of cases solved; however, six of the seven problem sets showed significant gender differences in both the strategies used (ANN classifications) as well as the in the HMM models of progress. These results were extended through a detailed analysis of one problem set. For this high school / university problem set, gender differences were seen in how the problems were encoded consolidated and retrieved. These studies suggest that strategic problem solving differences are common across gender, and would be masked by simply looking at the outcome of the problem solving event.

Smoking among secondary-school boys in Bahrain: prevalence and risk factors

To determine the prevalence of smoking among male secondary school students in Bahrain and to identify their risk factors for smoking, we surveyed a random sample of students by questionnaire. The prevalence of smoking was 26.6%, 25.5% and 25.4% among first-year, second-year and third-year students respectively. Cigarettes (21.0%), water-pipes (13.0%) and cigars (1.6%) were popular. Smokers and non-smokers had similar socioeconomic profiles, but differed in degree of disapproval of smoking shown by close contacts and whether close contacts were smokers. The prevalence of smoking among male secondary-school students in Bahrain did not decline despite intense anti-smoking efforts in the last decade, perhaps indicating the effectiveness of tobacco advertising and promotions that target youth.