Bridging Gender Disparities in Mathematics Achievement through Computer Based Learning

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to establish the influence of computer based learning (CBL) in Mathematics on learners’ achievement level in relation to gender. Specifically, the study sought to find out if there is any significant difference in achievement between boys and girls when exposed to CBL among secondary school students in Bungoma North District, Western Province, Kenya. This study was based on the theory of situated learning which states that learning as it normally occurs is a function of the activity, context and culture in which it occurs (Lave, 1988). The study adopted an experimental design where pre-test and post-test control group was used. The target population of the study was 1,173 form three secondary school students from Bungoma North District, Kenya. Purposive sampling was used to select schools with and without computers after which simple random sampling was used to select nine schools for the study. The study used a sample size of 240 respondents. Purposive sampling was used to select students who were computer literate then simple random sampling was applied to choose the respondents of the study. Mathematics achievement tests were used to collect data from the respondents. In data analysis both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Descriptive statistics involved means, while inferential statistics utilized independent samples t-test. It was found out that there was no significant difference between boys and girls in Mathematics achievement when exposed to CBL. The paper therefore made the following recommendations: gender digital divide to be addressed, develop and use interactive Mathematics programmes, rural electrification to be continued, teachers to be equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to use the CBL technology, computer studies to be made compulsory in secondary schools. All this recommendations aim at bringing CBL into classroom to give every student, especially girls, a competitive edge in mathematics achievement.

Keywords: Achievement, Bridging, Computer Based Learning, Gender Disparity