Significant Difference In Students Research Articles

More is not always better: Profiles of perceived frequency of parental involvement among Chinese students and associations with resilience and academic achievement

This study adopted a person-centered approach to explore heterogeneous patterns of home-based parental involvement frequency among elementary, middle, and high school students, and examined how such patterns were associated with resilience and academic achievement. The sample comprised 105,641 Chinese students, with analyses conducted using latent profile analyses (LPAs) and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The results revealed consistent profile emergence across all cohorts- four profiles distinctly described the students' perceived patterns of parental involvement. These encompassed three universally identified profiles: “low involvement in life and study,” “moderate involvement in life and study,” and “high involvement in life but low in study.” For the 8th and 11th graders, the fourth profile was denoted as “high involvement in life and study,” while for 4th graders, it was termed “moderate involvement in life but moderately low in study.” MANCOVA results revealed statistically significant differences in students' resilience and academic achievement across profiles after controlling students' gender and family socioeconomic status (SES). The findings of this research highlight that parents' more frequent involvement in students' everyday lives, coupled with less frequent involvement in their study matters, may effectively foster academic success and enhance the development of resilient traits. Educational relevance statementThis study sheds light on the impact of diverse frequency of parental involvement profiles on the academic achievement and resilience of Chinese students across different grade levels. The findings highlight students who perceive their parents as a ‘high involvement in life but low in study’ are associated with greater academic achievement and resilience. These insights emphasized the need for teachers, parents, and policymakers to consider the nature, frequency, and domains of parental involvement, offering significant implications for teaching strategies, parenting practices, and educational policy development, particularly in the Chinese context.

Applying Peer Review to Improve Students’ Descriptive Writing Text

This research is conducted to determine whether there is a significant difference in students’ descriptive writing score after being treated using peer review compared to those students who did not get the same treatment. This is a quasi-experimental research design with one group as the experimental and one group as the control. Pre-test and post-test were also administered before and after the 10 times treatment given. The population of this research are all of the seventh-grade students in Bangka Islandy the total 80 students. Meanwhile, 50 students from two different classes were the sample of this research. The result of this research showed that the t-obtained in equal variances assumed 6.353 and the significant (2-tailed) was 0.00. Since t-obtained was higher than t-table (2.02) and the significant (2-tailed) was lower than computation with level significant (0.05), it could be stated that there was a significant difference in post-test between the experimental class and control class. It can be concluded that the using of peer review is able to improve the students’ descriptive writing score significantly.

Mind Mapping Technique with Students Team Achievement Division to Increase the Students’ Interest and Vocabulary Achievement to Tenth Grade Students at Smk Aku Cinta Indonesia Metro

The present study is aimed to find out whether there is a significant difference of students’ vocabulary achievement between students who are taught by using mind mapping technique with students team achievement divison and original mind mapping technique, and whether there is an increase in the students' interest of English vocabulary learning through mind mapping technique with students team achievement divison. The subjects of this research were the tenth grade students of SMK Aku Cinta Indonesia Metro. This study is quantitative research. The data were obtained from the pre-test, post-test, and questionnaire. The data were analyzed by using Independent group t-test and Paired sample t-test in SPSS (Statistical Program for Social Science). The results show that the students' vocabulary achievement in experimental class increased from 54.07 to 81.87 and there is a significant difference with the sig. (2 tailed) of 0.00 < 0.05. The result of students' vocabulary achievement in control class also increased from 53.40 to 68.73 and there is a significant difference with the sig. (2 tailed) of 0.01 < 0.05. Meanwhile, the result of the significance value of the experimental class and the control class are 0.00 < α = 0.05. It means that the p value is less than 0.05. This indicates that there is a significant difference in students' vocabulary achievement between the students who were taught using mind mapping technique with students team achievement divison and original mind mapping technique. Furthermore, the results show that students' interest increased from 30.07 to 42.30 with a significance value of 0.00 < α = 0.05. It can be concluded that H1 is accepted which states that there is an increase in students' interest in learning vocabulary using mind mapping technique with students team achievement divison. In conclusion, learning using digital mind mapping technique has a greater influence on students' vocabulary achievement and it is also able to increase students' interest in English vocabulary.

The Effectiveness of Using Mind Mapping Technique in Teaching Writing

As one of the compulsory subjects in junior high school, it is undeniable that English must be taught to students. The objectives of this study are find out whether there is a significant difference in students’ writing achievement between students who are taught using the Mind Mapping Technique and those who are not taught using the Mind Mapping Technique at Pesantren Modern Al-Manar Bener Meriah. The sample was selected using a purposive sampling technique, where 15 of boys students were treated to an experimental group, and the other 15 of girl students were assigned as a control group. The data were collected from written tests (pre-test and post-test), they were analyzed using some formula: mean, standard deviation, and t-test. By comparing t-test score and t-table score, it shows that the result is 2.93 while the result of t-table at a level significance with = 0.05 is 2.160. It means that t-test score is higher than t-table score. It can be concluded that the students who were taught by using mind mapping technique achieve a better performance than those who did not. Therefore, when concentrating students’ writing becomes the goal of instruction, mind mapping should be utilized as an alternative teaching strategy.

Movies as Representative of the Natural Approach and their Effect on EFL Students’ Speaking Performance

This study investigated the effect of using movies (as representative of the Natural Approach) on male and female Palestinian students’ speaking performance. The study followed the mixed approach, where two instruments (quantitative and qualitative) were used to collect the research data: a pre- and post-speaking test and the researcher’s observation. The participants were seventh graders assigned randomly into a control group (48 male and female) and an experimental group (38 male and female). The experimental group was taught using movies as an instructional technique, while the control group was taught conventionally (through presentations). The study was implemented in eight weeks. The study's findings demonstrated statistically significant differences between students' speaking performance based on the speaking test scores in favor of the experimental group. This resulted in using movies as a teaching technique, particularly in vocabulary, fluency, pronunciation, and spoken grammar sub-skills. It was also revealed that no significant differences in students' speaking performance between males and females can be attributed to the teaching technique. Accordingly, some recommendations were suggested.

TikTok: How the Application Became the Motivation for Online Learning for EFL Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia

This research aims to determine whether the social media application TikTok effectively increases the motivation for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students to learn English using senior high school students in Tangerang, Indonesia, for the study. As 2022’s sixth most often used social media application in the world, TikTok provides many features that can be easily used for teaching and learning EFL. As a result, the researchers chose TikTok as a medium in the English teaching-learning process. A quantitative approach using a quasi-experimental design and data collection through pre-tests and post-tests was used by the researchers along with quantitative descriptive research used in the data analysis, normality test, homogeneity test, and hypothesis testing (Mann-Whitney U). The results can be seen from the pre-test and post-test analysis using the Mann-Whitney U test, namely sig < 5% (0.000 < 0.05), and H0 was rejected which means that there is a significant difference in students’ motivation when learning English between the experimental class who were taught using the TikTok application and the control class students who were not taught using TikTok.

Roundpics Based on Process Approach to Improve Students’ Achievement in Writing

The objectives of this study are; 1) to find out the significant difference of student’s writing achievement between those who were taught through the modified roundtable technique with a picture based on the process approach and original roundtable technique, and 2) to find out the difference of students’ perceptions between those techniques. A quantitative and qualitative study in the form of control group pretest-posttest design was conducted which involved two classes; each class consisted of 21 students of MTSS Darul Huffazh, Pesawaran, Indonesia. The data were analyzed through the independent t-test. The results show that the students’ writing achievement in the experimental class increased from 38.76 to 68.95 and there is a significant difference with the sig. (2 tailed) of 0.00 < 0.05. The result in the control class also increased from 37.81 to 49.05 and there is a significant difference with the sig. (2 tailed) of 0.00 < 0.05. Meanwhile, the result of the significance value of the experimental class and the control class is 0.00 < α = 0.05. This indicates that there is a significant difference in students’ writing achievement between the students who were taught using the modified roundtable technique with pictures and the original roundtable technique. Meanwhile, for the second research question, the researcher used a questionnaire measured using a five-range Likert scale and analyzed through the independent t-test. The results show that there was a significant difference in the students’ perceptions. The positive responses of students toward the modified roundtable technique with pictures are 74.28% and 70.95% toward the original roundtable technique. The findings suggest that language teachers need to provide other media to help students find new information easily. In conclusion, learning using modifying roundtable technique with pictures is more effective on students’ writing achievement than those who were taught through the original roundtable technique.

Vocational High School Students’ Perception of Assessments in Online Learning: For, As, and Of Learning

<p style="text-align:justify">Implementing online learning has led to several issues, especially those related on assessments to measure students’ learning achievement. This study aimed to obtain accurate information on learning assessments for vocational high school (VHS) students during online learning, including assessment for learning (AfL), assessment as learning (AaL), and assessment of learning (AoL). It also investigated students’ perceptions of the assessments based on their grades. This quantitative research employed the survey method, collecting data through questionnaires. The population of this research is VHS students in Indonesia, totaling 86,885 students. The participants of this study were 487 VHS students. The data were analyzed using descriptive and ANOVA techniques. The results show that most VHS students positively perceive the assessment of learning achievements in online learning for AfL, AaL, and AoL aspects. Moreover, there is a significant difference in students' perceptions of the assessment in online learning based on grades. The perception of class XII students is the highest (average value = 3.90) of all classes, while the other classes have an average value of 3.38 for class XI, and the average value of class X is 3.81.</p>

Students’ Motivation in Learning Narrative Text Using STAD

This research is motivated by the low motivation to learn English among students in class VIII of SMP Negeri 3 Talang, so it is necessary to ncrease their motivation. The formulation of the type cooperative modelin class VIII at SMP Negeri 3 Talang. Theaim ofthis research is to determine students' learning motivation in learning narrative text using the STAD type cooperative model. The literature review discussed includes STAD type cooperative learning and learning motivation. This research took place at SMP Negeri 3 Talang, Tegal Regency, which wascarried out from July 2023 to December 2023. The research population was251 students in class VIII of SMP Negeri 3 Talang 2023/2024. Samples were taken using cluster randomsampling, samples were obtainedfrom class VIIIA and VIIIC asthe experimental class and class VIIID as the control class. Data collection is carried out through questionnaries and documentation.Data analysis used the MANOVA test. The research results show that there is significant difference in students' learning motivation in narrative text learning that uses STAD type cooperative model and those that do not in class VIII at SMP Negeri 3 Talang. The Percentage of learning motivation with STAD was 81.93% with very good criteria. Thisshows that students'learning motivationinlearning narrative text using STAD type cooperative model in class VIIIat SMPNegeri3 Talabg is better than without using STAD.

Developing Hots-Based Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) to Improve Students’ Speaking Skill in Foreign Language Learning

This study aims at finding the significant difference in students’ speaking skill after being taught by using HOTS-based communicative language teaching. A quantitative study in the form of a quasi-experimental design was conducted which involved 27 students from the tenth grade in SMKN 1 Pugung, Tanggamus. The data were collected through pre-test & post-test. The data were collected in form of recording. The data were analyzed using paired sample test and independent sample t-test. The findings showed that 1) there was a significant improvement in students’ speaking skill after being taught by using HOTS-based communicative language teaching. The mean in the speaking pre-test is 65.52 while the post-test is 78.30, with a value of sig. (2-tailed) is 0.000 and it was lower than 0.05. 2). In conclusion, HOTS-based communicative language teaching is appropriate for improving the student’s speaking skills since the student can be more active, and creative, and comprehend the language used.

ANALYSIS OF CHINESE STUDENTS’ USE OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES AT A COLLEGE IN HEILONGJIANG PROVINCE, CHINA

This research mainly focused on the Chinese students strategies for learning English as a second language during the academic year 2023 at a college in Heilongjiang, China. A total of 292 students from the school of English at a college in Heilongjiang Province were surveyed in this study. The study adopted a questionnaire focused on students learning strategies to learn English as a second language. Based on research objectives, the researchers used frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, independent sample t-test, and one-way ANOVA to analyze the collected questionnaires. Accordingly, the results showed that: 1) college students used both direct and indirect strategies for their English learning at a high level; 2) there were no significant differences in students' use of second language learning strategies according to their gender; 3) however, there were significant differences in students' use of second language learning strategies according to their grade, home location, and family income. The researchers discussed each finding and provided related recommendations for encouraging students strategies for learning English as a second language at Chinese colleges.

Students' Perceptions Of Geography Education In Middle And High Schools: The Importance Of Geography Education In The Education Curriculum, Dagana Dzongkhag, Bhutan

A positive perception of the geography subject is crucial for students' academic success and their interest in learning. The identification of students’ perceptions of subjects has been carried out in many educational curricula. However, it is rarely studied in Bhutan. This study explores the students’ performance in middle and higher secondary school and their academic performance in Dagana Dzongkhag (district). To study the students’ perceptions of learning geography, the data were collected from key stages IV and V students using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design from four schools. A total of 282 students, comprising 181 from key stage IV and 101 from key stage V were selected from two middle secondary and two higher secondary schools. The quantitative data were obtained using a survey questionnaire, and the qualitative data were collected from four FGDs (focus group discussions). The findings revealed that the students have positive perceptions of learning geography, irrespective of their stages. There is a significant difference in students’ perception of learning geography between key stages IV and V. The students of key stage V have a comparatively positive perception compared to those in key stage IV. It is evident from this study that students’ perceptions towards the subject would also impact their academic performance. Therefore, to address the research findings, this study recommends the district education office and school management to prioritize geography education and establish proper mechanism to support it through relevant authorities. The study has also opened the way forward for future researchers to explore similar research with a larger population.

Evaluation of Students' Proficiency in Removing Gutta-Percha Prior to Fiber Post Placement: A Retrospective Study.

This retrospective study focuses on dental students' proficiency in removing gutta-percha during fiber post space preparation, which is important for maintaining apical seal integrity in endodontically treated teeth. Emphasizing the significance of preventing further reinfection. The primary objective of this study was to assess the proficiency of undergraduate dental students in the manipulation of gutta-percha during fiber post preparation, specifically focusing on the psychomotor skills involved. In addition, the study aims to determine the predictive value of these skills on the ultimate clinical outcomes of the procedure, with particular emphasis on variations attributable to tooth type. The analysis encompassed 290 periapical radiographs obtained from endodontically treated teeth, all of which had undergone fiber post placement by undergraduate students at the College of Dentistry, Taibah University, Saudi Arabia. Postoperatively, the length of the remaining gutta-percha was measured by two experts in the field, and subsequent outcomes were classified into three categories: optimal, suboptimal, and inadequate, based on the extent of gutta-percha remaining. Students showed optimal removal rates ranging from 33.3% to 73.1%. Among the studied sample, upper anterior teeth were the highest included teeth (n=117, 40%). Remarkably, lower anterior teeth were more prone to suboptimal and inadequate gutta-percha remaining lengths (n=24, 33%). However, the chi-square test revealed no statistically significant difference in students' psychomotor skills while removing the gutta-percha and preparing the teeth to receive fiber posts across tooth types (p-value > 0.05). With the limitations of this study, more than half of the included cases show that undergraduate students of the College of Dentistry at Taibah University, Saudi Arabia, possess an optimum level of psychomotor skills in removing gutta-percha while preparing the teeth for receiving fiber posts. This study suggests enhancing the preclinical training of students by considering more training on different tooth types in relation to dental arches.

Students’ Critical Thinking Skills Using an E-Module Based on Problem-Based Learning Combined with Socratic Dialogue

This study aimed at testing the effectiveness of an e-module based on Problem-Based Learning combined with Socratic Dialogue on the topic of environmental change in improving school students' critical thinking skills. This research was a quasi-experimental study and used a non-randomised control group, pre-test/post-test design. The sampling technique was cluster random sampling. The sample in this study was two experimental classes (n = 72) and two control classes (n = 72). The data collection instruments included multiple-choice tests and a questionnaire. The test results were analysed using the t-test and the N-gain score test. The results showed significant difference in students' critical thinking skills between the experimental and control classes. Students who used the e-module showed better critical thinking skills. Students who used the e-module showed a greater increase in critical thinking skills after the learning process, compared to students who did not use the e-module. Thus, it can be concluded that the e-module based on PBL combined with Socratic Dialogue effectively improved students' critical thinking skills.

Sustainability of Fully Online and Rapidly Growing EdD Programs: Using Student Demographics to Improve Program Outcomes

The phenomena of small Doctor of Education (EdD) cohorts and in-person communities of inquiry have been replaced by larger scale, fully online programs. Faculty must engage in deep reflection on their new realities to ensure that their curricular, programmatic, and other practices are evidence-based and developed to account for diverse factors guiding students’ academic performance, motivation, and career aspirations. The current study utilized descriptive research to provide a comprehensive description of educational phenomena. The study was conducted at a large, public research university in the southern United States. A total of 316 students enrolled in an online program were invited to complete the survey, of which 131 responses were analyzed. Results revealed statistically significant differences in students’ attitudes based on their academic level and master’s degree focus. Further, students were more likely to benefit from their online EdD programs based on motivation, self-efficacy, and interest in professional development opportunities. The most notable implications of this research stem from the discovery that online EdD program outcomes can be significantly moderated by student demographic and background variables. The findings offer practical recommendations for all EdD programs challenged with navigating the three phenomena becoming the norm in EdD education in the US – increased enrollments, student diversity, and online modality.

Using e-scaffolding to develop students’ scientific reasoning through inquiry-based learning

Introduction. Through inquiry-based learning (IBL), scaffolding is provided to help students develop their scientific reasoning (SR). However, the results obtained by students vary depending on their prior knowledge because the strategies of scaffolding vary on demand. Therefore, the different levels of scaffolding should be provided to all students based on their prior knowledge to facilitate their internalisation of new information in the classroom.Aim. The present research aimed to examine students’ SR in a course involving two electronic scaffolding levels (e-scaffolding) in IBL.Methodology and research methods. The authors conducted a mixed-methods explanatory study followed by semi-structured interviews and think-aloud exercises with two classes (experimental and control) of 64 physics students in Indonesia for eight weeks. The authors collected the quantitative data by testing their prior knowledge and SR and obtained the qualitative data from the interviews and the think-aloud exercises, learning activities, photos, videos, and teachers’ notes. ANOVA analysis of the quantitative data and thematic analysis of the qualitative data were performed.Results and scientific novelty. To our knowledge, our research marks the first instance of providing scaffolding with a tiered level option, a feature previously limited to a single level. It was found that there were significant differences in students’ SR based on students’ prior knowledge of the subject. E-scaffolding developed more on SR for students with low prior knowledge. Taking notes as a habit and switching roles during experiments helped improve students’ SR. It was observed that the students with low prior knowledge still needed e-scaffolding buttons to master physics concepts. Meanwhile, the students with high prior knowledge employed e-scaffolding buttons only to answer task completion.Practical significance. Based on the research findings, the tiered e-scaffolding produced in this work opens a new potency to be applied by physics teachers to enhance student’ SR. Additionally, educational technology developers may consider tiered e-scaffolding designs to provide an adaptive system.

Evaluating the effectiveness of spatial training for introductory geology students

Abstract Spatial skills, which represent the ability to visualize and imagine manipulating objects in one’s mind, are necessary for success in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and are particularly relied upon by geoscientists. Although scholars recognize the importance of these skills, explicit training is inconsistently offered throughout courses. Furthermore, the relationship between spatial training and students’ perspectives on STEM fields is underexplored. To address this, we developed a case study that included over 700 students enrolled in introductory geology classes over three semesters. These students were randomly divided into control and experimental groups; the experimental group completed 10 spatial training assignments, and the control group completed the course as usual. We relied on situated expectancy-value theory to interpret changes in students’ perceptions of both the course and science overall, and asked the following research questions: (1) Do students who complete the spatial training assignments (i.e., the experimental group) have a statistically significant improvement in their final course grade, self-efficacy, and/or value when compared to the control group? (2) If so, what are the effect sizes of these changes? (3) Is there a minimum number of trainings that need to be completed to achieve this effect? (4) Is there a maximum number of spatial training assignments where we stop seeing improvement (ceiling effect)? We surveyed all students enrolled using 38-question pre- and post-assessments of their self-efficacy, defined as a belief in their ability to succeed, and value. We found that between the control and experimental groups, there were significant differences in students’ pre- to post-changes in perception of science self-efficacy, class self-efficacy, and class value. We found non-significant between-group differences in final grade and science value. We interpret this to mean that using weekly spatial training assignments could increase students’ perceived self-efficacy in their introductory geology course as well as in science more broadly, potentially having ripple effects that support students’ long-term engagement with the sciences. Findings suggest that practitioners should include explicit spatial training in their courses to improve students’ perceptions of the course and science overall. Building on this work may include describing to students the purpose of spatial training (which was deliberately avoided in this study) and outlining the research that supports the relationship between spatial skills and success in STEM fields. Future directions may also include longitudinal tracking of spatial and related skill development throughout students’ college careers.

Identifying Chinese students’ perceptions of smart classrooms and their relationships with design features

ABSTRACT Taking classes in a smart classroom is a novel experience for most college students in China, and comprehensive research on how Chinese students perceive smart classroom environments is limited. This study explored students’ perceptions of smart classroom environments in plain language through a survey involving 358 students. The semantic difference and Kansei Engineering methods were employed to investigate students’ perceptions of learning and physical environments and their relationships with the design features of smart classrooms. Statistical analysis revealed six factors of subjective assessments with a total interpretation rate of 66.29% and five design features of smart classrooms with a total interpretation rate of 59.40%. No significant differences were found across all the factors based on gender, but there were significant differences in students’ technology self-efficacy according to each factor of subjective evaluation and design feature. All factors of the subjective assessments and design features exhibited significant correlations. Furthermore, regression models revealed a significant relationship between affective perception and other dimensions of subjective assessments and an important connection between the active learning environment and all design features. Thus, this study provides an empirical foundation for understanding students’ perceptions of smart classrooms and offers a user-based perspective for designing smart classrooms.

Social Variables and Maladaptive Behaviours among Secondary School Students in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

The study examined Social variables and Maladaptive behaviour of public senior secondary school students in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria Three research questions were formulated and three hypotheses were stated in their null form and tested with appropriate statistics at a .05 level of significance. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised 54,216 senior secondary two (SS2) students in all 235 public secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Nwana’s sampling formula was used to select 20% of students from nineteen (9) public secondary schools. The researcher made use of a questionnaire entitled (FVSDBTQ) to obtain data from respondents. The instrument was validated by experts in the sociology of Education and Measurement and Evaluation from the Department of Educational Foundations, Guidance and Counseling, University of Uyo, Uyo. Cronbach Apha analysis for internal consistency reliability of the instrument yielded a coefficient of .96. Research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested using independent t-test and ANOVA. The study revealed that social variables differ in terms of the maladaptive behaviour of secondary school students in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The independent t-test and ANOVA of the hypotheses indicated significant differences in students’ maladaptive behaviour based on family discipline, family emotional climate and parent-child relationship. It was, therefore, concluded that social variables differ significantly based on students’ maladaptive behaviour in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The researcher made some useful recommendations which include: parents should also take the discipline of their children seriously; parents should show a good example for their children to emulate and parents should also develop a healthy relationship with their children to help them develop good moral behaviour among other recommendations.

Perceived Impact of Personality Traits on the Academic Performance of Students in Biology

The study examined the perceived impact of personality traits on the academic performance of biology students in Makurdi, a local government area of Benue State, Nigeria. Three research questions were raised and two hypotheses were also formulated and tested. The research design adopted for this study was a descriptive survey design. The study sample comprises 384 students who were randomly selected from the total population of 9,748 students of the 20 government secondary schools in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. The instruments used for data collection in this study were the Five-Factor Inventory Questionnaire (FFIQ) for personality traits and “The Biology Performance Test (BPT)” for academic performance. The data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while ANOVA statistics and t-tests were used to test the hypotheses at a .05 significance level. The findings revealed that there was no significant mean difference in the five personality traits of students and the personality traits of Biology students had no significant relationship with their performance in the subject. Also, there was no significant difference in the mean performance of students in each of the five personality traits based on gender. The findings further revealed no significant difference in students’ personality traits according to gender and no significant difference in the performance of students who were offered biology according to gender. This study recommends that Special attention be paid to improving the performance of students in Biology in Makurdi to strike an association between the traits. Also, male and female students should be given equal opportunities in biology since there is no gender difference in their personality traits and academic performance.