Abstract:
Mathematics achievement has for some time been predominantly a male domain, with boys known to
be superior to girls. This study sought to assess the magnitude of difference (if any) between boys and
girls on mathematics achievement as measured by standardized achievement tests. A closer look was
also paid at analyzing whether differences in mathematics are affected by location or level of education.
A quasi-experimental design was employed to gather data, with a sample of 18 706 participants.
Participants were randomly selected resulting in 52% and 48% participants as males and females
respectively. The results show a significant difference in the performance of boys and girls on
standardized achievement tests with girls performing better than boys in mathematics (t=-9.697
significant at 1% confidence level and t=-3.106 significant at 5% confidence level at Primary and
Secondary levels respectively). Analysis by grade levels indicates narrowing performance gaps
between girls and boys from grades 4 to form 3. Results are almost similar across different levels of
education and locations. Better scores were observed in urban areas than in rural areas. The better
performance of girls when compared to boys is attributed to a shift in attitudes, with current views
suggesting that girls can perform equally to boys in mathematics.
