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Gender Differences in Student Attendance and Punctuality in Secondary Schools in Yenagoa Metropolis

Nwosu Francis Ifeanyi

Abstract

This study examined gender differences in student attendance and punctuality in secondary schools in Yenagoa Metropolis, Bayelsa State. The study was guided by two objectives: to compare the attendance rate of male and female students and to examine the difference in punctuality between male and female students. A descriptive comparative research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised secondary school students in Yenagoa Metropolis, while a sample of 300 students was selected using a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and a records extraction sheet titled Gender, Student Attendance and Punctuality Questionnaire and Record Sheet. The data were analysed using frequency counts, percentages, mean, standard deviation, and independent samples t-test at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that female students had a slightly higher attendance rate than male students, with mean scores of 86.90% and 85.10%, respectively. The findings also showed that female students were slightly more punctual than male students, with mean punctuality rates of 85.19% and 83.61%, respectively. The t-test results showed significant gender differences in both attendance and punctuality. The study concluded that gender is an important factor in understanding students’ attendance and punctuality patterns. It is recommended that schools should monitor attendance and punctuality records by gender and provide timely support for students with irregular school participation.

Keywords

Gender differencesstudent attendancepunctualitysecondary schoolsYenagoa Metropolis

References

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