Gender differences in mathematics and science in a coeducational school

Abstract

Various studies have shown that gender differences exist within coeducational contexts. This study aims to check whether any gender differences exist between the students attending a Maltese coeducational secondary school. The gender differences probed for were in the students' achievement in Mathematics, Integrated Science and Physics and in their attitudes towards these subjects. For this reason, the students' annual 2001 assessment and examination results for all the three subjects were collected. Furthermore, an attitude questionnaire for each subject was administered to all students studying the above-mentioned subjects. On checking for any gender differences in achievement only few statistically significant differences resulted. These were observed for the Form II Mathematics assessment results and Integrated Science assessment and examination results, and for the Form IV assessment and examination results in Physics. Furthermore, the resulting significant differences were always in favour of females. The most outstanding gender differences in attitudes towards the subjects resulted in Physics and were most prominent in the students' attitudes towards their opposite sex. These findings showed females to hold slightly less positive attitudes than males towards Mathematics and Integrated Science. However, as regards Physics, the findings reflected females as holding more pronounced less positive attitudes than males. Furthermore, a small percentage of students also hold traditional stereotyped views.