Girls on the frontline: Gender differences in mathematics achievement in Manicaland province, Zimbabwe

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.