INFLUENCE OF GENDER ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ECONOMICS IN JOS SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between gender and the academic
performance of secondary school student in Economics in Jos South Local Government Area
of Plateau state. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design to investigate how
gender influences the performance of student in Economics. Two research question and two
Hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test
of independence at 5 percent level of significance to test the research hypothesis while the
simple percentage method was adopted to analyze the research question. The total population
of teachers in Jos South is 536 and students is 9,600. A sample oof 150 questionnaires was
administered to the teachers and 600 questionnaires was administered to the students, making
the total of 750 questionnaires. The findings of this study revealed that gender significantly
affect the academic performance of students in Economics. Based on the findings, the study
recommended that teachers should give equal attention to both male and female students to
enhance their performance in Economics.