Abstract

GENDER, ENVIRONMENT AND PARENTS? SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS AS DETERMINANT OF STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS PERIODIC TESTS AND TERMINAL EXAMINATION IN ONDO STATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS

OLODA F.S. SMART

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ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of students? gender, environment and parents? socio-economic status on their performances in mathematics periodic tests and terminal examination. The aim was to determine the individual contributions of students? gender, environment and parents? socio-economic status to performance of students in mathematics periodic tests and terminal examination. The study adopted an ex-post facto research design in which the researcher does not have direct control on the independent variables, since the manifestation had directly occurred. It involves the collection of existing data. The target population for the study consisted of Senior Secondary School II (SSS II) students in Akure South local government of Ondo state. 240 students were drawn from Six (6) public schools (three schools each from both rural and urban) in Akure south local government through a multistage sampling technique. The researcher made personal contact with all the selected schools and collected the following items: i. Copies of the three continuous assessments in mathematics of 2nd term 2014/2015 academic session. ii. The copy of terminal examination mathematics results of 2nd term2014/2015 academic session. iii. The sex and parents? socio-economic status of the selected students. The result revealed that there was significant difference between the academic performance of male and female students in mathematics periodic Test 1 (t = 3.379, P < 0.05), Test 2 (t = 3.886, P < 0.05), Test 3 (t = 2.949, P < 0.05) and Terminal examination (t = 4.175, P < 0.05) at 0.05 level of significance. Also, there was significant difference between academic performance of students from rural and urban schools in Periodic Test 1 (t = 3.749, P < 0.05), Test 2 (t = 3.276, P < 0.05), Test 3 ( t = 3.924, P < 0.05) and Terminal examination (t = 3.812, P < 0.05) at 0.05 level of significance. The result also revealed that parents? socio-economic status had significant influence on students? academic performance in mathematics periodic Test 1 (F = 10.773, P < 0.05), Test 2 (F = 6.796, P < 0.05), Test 3 (F = 6.511, P < 0.05) and Terminal examination (F = 12. 455, P < 0.05). This was statistically significant at 0.05 levels in each case. The study established that students? performance in mathematics periodic tests and terminal examination were affected by students? gender, environment and parents? socio-economic status. The study recommended that teachers should be gender sensitive and accommodating by taking into consideration individual differences in students? rate of learning irrespective of gender. Also, school environment should be made conducive for learning while parental supportiveness and involvement in students? academic activities should be encouraged Keywords: Gender, environment, socio-economic status, periodic tests, terminal examination, performance

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