Exploring gender differences in achievement through student voice: Critical insights and analyses

Cogent Education

Judith Morrain-Webb¹  W. Marc Jackman¹ 

[1] University of Trinidad & Tobago;

关键词: gender differences;    student perspectives;    academic achievement;    secondary school;   

DOI  :  10.1080/2331186X.2019.1567895

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The superior performance of females over males at high school and other levels appears to be a growing international phenomenon. This is notwithstanding the fact that a recent and significant comprehensive global meta-analysis that examined male–female performance at all levels revealed that girls have always outperformed boys in school. This meta-analysis included 502 effect sizes from 369 independent samples from articles published over a 100-year period beginning in 1914 with participants totaling 538,710 males and 595,332 females. Since the success of females is usually juxtaposed with the underperformance or failure of males, it is of critical importance in education today. Many reasons and rationales have been identified by professionals in education, psychology, sociology, counseling, history and culture. However, researchers have given little attention to this issue from the perspective of the students themselves. This exploratory qualitative study addresses this gap in the literature. This perspective is critical because it interrogates the beliefs of the students themselves and has the potential to unearth the actual motivational and amotivational forces at work. Male and female students from schools in Trinidad and Tobago were asked to give two reasons why they felt that girls were outperforming boys in high school and any recommendation to help boys improve. Their responses revealed some similarities with extant literature as well as valuable insights and perspectives. The findings of this study might be beneficial in addressing the issue of male–female achievement differences at secondary school level in Trinidad and Tobago.

【 授权许可】

Unknown