SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS

This study investigates gender disparities in mathematics achievement among secondary school students in Egor Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria. Using a descriptive survey design, data was collected from 154 students (103 males, 51
females) selected through multi-stage sampling from public secondary schools. The research examined four key factors: differences in mathematics achievement between genders, the influence of cultural beliefs and societal expectations, the impact of
teacher attitudes and classroom practices, and the effect of parental support. Findings revealed that while respondents perceived differences in mathematics achievement between male and female students, these disparities were primarily attributed to sociocultural factors rather than cognitive abilities. Male students received higher expectations from teachers, greater encouragement from parents, and benefited from cultural norms favoring their participation in mathematics. Independent samples t-tests showed no statistically significant differences between male and female students' perceptions regarding mathematics performance (p=0.439) and motivation (p=0.373). The study concludes that gender disparities in mathematics achievement stem largely from societal expectations, teacher attitudes, and parental support rather than inherent ability differences. Recommendations include implementing gender-inclusive teaching strategies, teacher training on bias elimination, parental education on equal encouragement, and targeted support programs for female students in STEM fields.

The study was conducted to investigate the sociocultural factor influencing female participation in sports. To make it possible four research questions were raised to guide the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted to accomplish the objectives of the study. The population of the study consists of all 44,699 undergraduate student in Universities in Edo state and the sample size of 300 accessible undergraduate was used for the study. The instrument for data collection was the questionnaire developed by the researcher and was validated by the researcher’s supervisor and two other experts from the Department of Human Kinetics and Sport Science. The reliability coefficient was 0.741 was obtained using Cronbach Alpha Co-efficient. The data collected were analyzed statistically using the statistical package of social sciences (SPSS) software. The study established that participation of women in sports was influenced by several factors. Some women participate in physical sport simply because they loved the game and because they found it exciting and fun. The sampled student across universities in Edo state participated in sport because they hoped that it would improve their lives in terms of keeping healthy and fit and learning especially reproductive health. Other respondents also considered it is a platform for socialization and making new friends. Finally the study recommend that government at all levels should create enabling environment for unrestricted participation of female in sports and its management, government should encourage female participation in sport by providing scholarship and
other incentives to female athletes who excel in any sporting competition and that mass media should organize enlightenment programme that will eliminate all socio-cultural biases against female participation in sporting activities.