Gender disparity and academic performance among the undergraduates of Fountain University, Osogbo

Abstract

Historically, women are perceived to have been relegated to the second fiddle positions in social schema, especially in cultures where patriarchy predominates. Since the Industrial Revolution in England, women have taken it upon themselves to liberate their kind in all facets of human engagements. This determination, therefore, necessitated the proliferation of various groupings for women’s liberation. One crucial means adopted for achieving this objective is to acquire Western education, a potent strategy often used to break barriers of real and perceived oppression by men. They ‘wrestle’ power from men and now take charge of most aspects in which men hitherto reigned supreme. This study was spurred by the trend of female students leading in academic performance in public and school examinations. A survey of the academic performance of Fountain University students for four years was carried out with a specific focus on gender performance. Senior Secondary School Certificate examination results, final results of graduating students, library attendance and Students’ Disciplinary Committee reports were examined. Interview sessions were conducted with six (6) parents (IDIs) and five (5) school officials (KIIs). These were complemented with ten (10) Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with students. Radical Feminist Theory was employed to provide explanations on the study’s findings, which were content analysed.