Differential academic performance among post secondary school students in Nigeria

Abstract

Sex, age and state differences in Physics, Chemistry and Biology achievement were investigated among post-secondary school students in Nigeria.

The analysis of variance technique was applied to the 1983 Joint Matriculation Examination (JME) results to test for any sex by age differences on each of the three science subjects. The nineteen states of Nigeria were divided into ten "state sections''. The single-factor analysis of variance was applied in testing for equal means among the "state sections" on each of Physics, Chemistry and Biology subtests. Paired comparisons 1'/ere carried out on the "state section" means using the Tukey method. The t-test was conducted in investigating the deviation of each "state section's" mean from the JME mean.

In the three subject areas, the males performed better than the females. The largest difference was in Physics and the smallest in Biology. Age was found to be insignificant, neither was there any sex by age interaction. The "state sections" differ in their performance on the three science subjects and in their deviations from the JME mean.

A lower cut-off score was proposed for admissions of females and students from two "state sections II into Science-based programs. Further investigations based on 3 to 5 years data were suggested.