GENDER EFFECTS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF STUDENTS IN BASIC SCIENCE IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

This study determined the gender effects of cooperative learning on academic achievement of students in basic science in Rivers State, Nigeria. It also considered the effects of gender in a competitive lecture method. Six hundred and seven students from six junior secondary schools selected by simple balloting technique in the three senatorial districts in Rivers State were involved in the study. Two research questions and hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The result showed that there was no significant difference between the academic achievement of the male and female students exposed to the cooperative learning strategy, but there was significant difference observed in the academic achievement of the male and female students taught with lecture method. The findings showed that cooperative learning is non-gender biased and more effective in promoting students’ academic achievement than lecture method. Based on these findings it was remanded that new instructional strategy like cooperative learning be adopted in Nigerian secondary schools. A. Introduction Gender issue is an inconclusive case in science achievement. While some researchers see boys performing better than girls, others see girls performing better than boys. The interrelationship between gender and science achievement has been that which has received a wide research in the past. A study carried out on gender differences by the International Centre for Educational Evaluation, University of Ibadan (ICEE) in 1985 with particular reference to the Nigeria population confirmed among others that male pupils consistently performed better than females at the primary level. Kelly (1987) in his work which focused on lack of girls’ interest to study the physical sciences stated that girls have sustained interest in sciences like boys. Scoffled (1994) and Erinosho (1995) believed that gender had a great influence on achievement and attitude of the females’ participation in sciences. Other research works have equally established significant gender difference in science education in favour of boys. Potlethwaist and Wiley (1999) also reported that boys performed better than girls in science. Onocha (1995) found sex of pupils as one of the variables that effectively predict primary school pupils’ attitude towards science and science achievement. This was confirmed by Obioma (1996), Okpala and Onocha (1998) who found gender as a significant determinant of students achievement in physics. Yoloye (1998), Jones (1999) and Kotte (2002) working n science achievement between boys and girls confirmed that boys tend to perform better than girls. Wang and Andre (2001) investigated the relationship between conceptual change approaches and gender. They found an overall gender effect. The concept investigated was electricity. They hypothesized that an average men had a high level interest in electricity than women. On the other hand, Ige (2008) found no significant main effect on gender on students’ learning outcomes in secondary school ecology. However, a significant interaction effect of teaching strategy (treatment) and gender on students’ cognitive achievement was found (Agboghoroma, 2005). Iroegbu (2000) also found no significant main effect of gender on students’ achievement in energy concepts in physics, but reported interaction effects of treatment and gender as well as gender and ability on students’ achievement in energy concepts in physics. Mullis and Jenkins (1998) reported that, interest in science is high for both male and female CEKA IJBAS VOL.4 NO.1 APRIL, 2018 2 students in elementary schools, but declines particularly for females in the middle secondary school years. Funk (2004) states that in co-educational schools, the competitive manner in which science is typically done may contributed to females decreased interest. Ransom (2002) in his study discovered that gender actively, reinforced boundaries through perceptions of certain subjects as being male or female. Both boys and girls use each other as a negative reference group in the maintenance of gender boundaries. Shepherds (2003) is of the view that in order to improve the achievement and attitude of the female students in sciences feminine traits such as feeling and receptivity in studying science should be encouraged. This was supported by baker (2005). Some people believed (without any empirical support) that because men are regarded as dominant and even superior sex, they intrinsically have better brains and learn much better than women (Mkpughe 1998 cited in Okoye, 2009). This view tend to be in line with that of Rosenthal and Rubin (1982) and Hyde (1981) that differences between male and female students in intellectual performance in schools have been demonstrated on a wide range of variables. Maccoby and Jacklin(1974) concluded that gender differences were well established. Girls have greater verbal ability than boys, and boys have better visual spatial ability than girls. Other research studies show that observed differences had not always favored one gender. In Nigeria, considerable efforts can be implicated in the seeming poor performance of girls in integrated science (Ukwuagwu 2002 cited in Okoye 2009). Ariyo (2001) pointed out that the issue of gender differences need further examination since a number of studies especially in Africa have reported that girls are under represented in the fields of science and technology at secondary and tertiary institutions level (AdeleWilliams,1999). Gender difference was first investigated by sociologist of education. The focus was largely on female under achievement at every level of the educational system. Therefore, there is the need to promote teaching and learning of science in schools especially among female students. Ajejalami (1990) identified the following factors as contributing to under representation of females in science and technology education in Africa;  Lack of functional guidance and counseling services,  Relationship of sex to occupational prestige,  Influence of schooling,