Statistical analysis of gender disparities in learning outcomes among senior secondary school students in Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

The study looked at the impact of gender on senior secondary school students' confidence and performance in school in Ilorin, Nigeria. The study's sample included 346 students (129 men and 217 females) from four secondary schools in Ilorin. This study's data was collected using the State Self-esteem Scale (SSES). The SSES has high internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.85 to 0.91. The mean scores of male and female students were compared using an independent sample t-test, and the results showed that male students had significantly higher mean scores on total self-esteem and academic performance than female students. Based on these findings, teachers, the government, education policymakers, researchers, and other educational stakeholders should pay more attention to these inequalities in order to boost female students' self-esteem and academic performance.