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