Girls' Performance in Mathematics in Upper Primary Schools of Addis Ababa

Abstract

This article was designed to make a comprehensive comparative analysis of mathematics achievement for females and males at the upper primary education level. It was also aimed at investigating the extent of association between females' maths achievement and school ownership, and probing into existing gender stereotypes among the minds of schoolchildren. To this end, the article has employed both objective and subjective data-gathering instruments. The instruments were applied to 309 boys and 302 girls drawn from 10 schools (five government and five non-government) on the basis of diversified sampling techniques. The results of data analyses revealed that mathematics achievement was strongly associated with student gender, and girls' achievement was significantly lower than that of boys'. However, girls' mathematics performance did not show significant difference in government and non-government schools. Further, it was evident that traditional stereotypes, which favour male dominance in mathematical ability, were still prevalent at a modest level in the schools studied.

‘A girl never finishes her journey’: mixing methods to understand female experiences of education in contemporary Ethiopia

“…They were explained away as 'teasing' or 'playfulness' and regarded by teachers as 'a necessary part of growing up' […] [while] the school was seen as a neutral institution without gender bias. (Dunne 2007, 509) The naturalisation of discrimination is a theme of Tilaye Kassahun and Bedru Kedir's (2006) comparative study of mathematics achievement in government, private and non-governmental schools in Addis Ababa. The authors found that boys scored significantly higher than girls in both settings and performed worse in governmental schools; however, there was no difference in girls' performance whether they were in a governmental or private school.…”