Examining the influence of gender and school location on academic achievement in algebra among senior secondary school students

Abstract

This study examined the influence of gender and school location differences on students' academic progress in Algebra among senior secondary students in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study focuses on underrepresentation and societal prejudices in mathematics. The quasi-experimental study included 356 SS 2 students from eight public senior secondary schools, with a pretest-posttest control group design consisting of 211 and 145 students from urban and rural schools, respectively. A multiple-choice Algebra achievement test comprising 50 items with a reliability coefficient of 0.93 was presented to the selected sample which lasted for 12 weeks. The data collected were analysed using ANCOVA, which focuses on two research questions and three hypotheses. The results show no significant difference in Algebra achievement based on gender disparities. However, considerable variations were discovered based on school location, with urban area students outperforming those in rural locations. The findings also revealed a substantial interaction effect between gender and school location on student achievement. The study indicated that learners of Mathematics should be handled equally by the teacher during the class, regardless of gender, and that a conducive learning environment that will accommodate both male and female pupils should be implemented, regardless of school location.