Gender Differences in Mathematics Performance among Fifth and Sixth Grade Children in Addis Ababa

Abstract

Although a few studies have examined gender differences in mathematics achievement among Ethiopian children, no study as yet has documented these differences in relation to specific mathematics subtests. Nor has there been any study that investigated students’ relative performance on different mathematics subtests. The major objectives of this study were thus (1) to identify the mathematical skills in which boys and girls differ and (2) to examine whether the children perform equally well on three mathematics subtests. To this end, the study examined the performance of 177 boys and girls in grades five and six on subtests of mathematics computation, concepts and problem solving. The results indicated no significant differences between fifth grade girls and fifth grade boys on the three subtests. However, at the sixth grade level, boys performed significantly better than girls on the problem solving subtest. The difference on the computation subtest was also marginally significant and in favor of boys. The students in both grades performed better on the computation subtest than on the other two subtests. Overall, the findings evidenced more similarities than differences between boys and girls’ mathematics achievement. Unfortunately, weaknesses rather than strengths marked the achievement of both boys and girls.