Gender differences in the relationship between students’ attitude towards chemistry curriculum and achievement in secondary schools in Matayos sub-county, Kenya

Abstract

Chemistry is one of the essential science subjects in most scientific courses at the university level. From the year 2013 to 2016, analysis of the chemistry results in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) by gender showed the mean scores attained by boys as 2.11 (2013), 2.09 (2014), 1.86 (2015) and 2.61 (2016) while that of girls was1.20 (2013), 1.18 (2014), 1.23(2015) and 1.56 (2016) out of the total mean of 12.00 points, in Matayos Sub- County. The results show gender differences in performance in the subject. Studies on the relationship between Students’ Attitude towards Chemistry and Achievement in the subject have been conducted in Matayos Sub-County, but no known study in the Sub-County has established gender differences in the relationship between students’ attitude towards chemistry curriculum components and academic achievement in the subject. The purpose of this study therefore was to establish gender differences in the relationship between students’ attitude towards chemistry curriculum components and academic Achievement in secondary schools in Matayos Sub-County, Kenya. The objectives of this study were to establish gender differences in the relationship between students’ attitude towards Chemistry: objectives, content, methods, evaluation, and Academic achievement in chemistry. In the conceptual framework, independent variable was students’ attitude towards chemistry curriculum objectives, content, methodology and evaluation while the dependent variable was Achievement in chemistry. Both descriptive survey and correlation research designs were employed. The target population was 900 Form 4 students from all the 14 secondary schools in the Sub-County. The sample size of 269 students (130 girls and 139 boys) was obtained by Krejcie and Morgan formula. Research instruments used to collect data were Students’ Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ), Students’ Interview Schedule (SIS), and Document Analysis Guide (DAG).Reliability of the students’ questionnaire was determined using Crobanch’s alpha formula. For validity, the instruments were presented to experts from Department of Educational Communication, Technology and Curriculum Studies, Maseno University for scrutiny and examination. Descriptive statistics (means, frequency counts and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (t-test and Pearson’s, r and regression analyses) were used for analysis of quantitative data. Qualitative data was transcribed and reported in an on- going process as themes and sub-themes emerged. The study established that there was gender difference in the relationship between students’ attitude towards chemistry objectives and achievement(p <.05).There was no gender differences in the relationship between students’ attitude towards chemistry content and achievement,( p> .05). Similarly, there was no gender difference in the relationship between students’ attitude towards chemistry methods and achievement, (p >.05).Gender difference in the relationship between students’ attitude towards chemistry evaluation and achievement was statistically significant (p< .05). The study therefore recommends that teachers need to inculcate the importance of the objectives of studying chemistry to learners as some learners were not aware of the role and the importance of chemistry in their carrier choice and even their daily lives. Teachers need to help girls demystify that some of the topics in the chemistry course are difficult, since gender does not moderate the relationship between attitude towards chemistry content and achievement. There is need for teachers to ensure that both boys and girls get equal opportunities to participate during lesson instruction, as there is no gender difference in students’ attitude towards chemistry methods and achievement. Teachers need to put proper evaluation strategies to prepare learners adequately to tackle the KCSE examination. There is need to motivate them to change their attitudes positively as there exists gender difference in the relationship between students ’attitudes towards chemistry evaluation and achievement.