Biology and Physics School Performances: The Gender Perspective Case Analyses Along Grades 7-10 in Addis Ababa

Abstract

Examining Biology and Physics performances from a gender perspective and checking whether or not either of the sexes performs better than the other from grades 7 to 10 were the main objectives of this study. Four years’ school rosters showing the two subjects’ performances of the same 74 participants (32 boys and 42 girls) were used as data sources. Means, Standard Deviations, and the independent samples t-test were employed for the analyses. The findings revealed that, at least for this specific sample, although girls performed slightly better than boys in Biology at all grade levels and at the first three grade levels in Physics, no statistically significant difference between boys’ and girls’ performances in the two subjects was observed either at a specific time point (grade level) or overtime (across the four grade levels). However, as grade level increases, the performance difference narrows in favor of boys: a potential signal for any gender-related academic intervention.