INFLUENCE OF GENDER AND GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF SCHOOL ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN ASANTE AKIM, GHANA

Abstract

The study investigated influence of gender and location of school on the academic performance of students in the Ashanti Akim North District. The descriptive survey design was used for the study. Purposive and proportional sampling techniques were used to select 297 from a population of 1292 students to respond to the Academic Performance Tests in the Four Core Subjects. Data were collected using achievement tests in Mathematics, English Language, Social Studies and Integrated Science whose reliabilities were respectively 0.75, 0.80, 0.78 and 0.76. Data were analysed using the Independent Sample t-test. Findings of this study suggest that location and sex determined students’ academic performance. The study among others recommends that attention should be focused on male students to catch up academically with their female counterparts. Again, to bridge the dichotomy in urban rural students’ performance, the Ministry of Education together with the District Education Directorate and the District Assembly should upgrade the facilities and provide learning resources in junior high schools in the rural areas to the standards of schools in the urban areas.