THE INFLUENCE OF GENDER AND SCHOOL LOCATIONS ON CLASSROOM INTERACTIONS AND PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OSUN STATE

This study assessed the influence of gender and school locations on classroom interactions and performance in Physics in senior secondary schools in Osun state. It examined the influence of gender on classroom interactions during Physics lessons in the study area. The study also determined how school locations influence classroom interactions. Lastly, it assessed the joint influence of gender and school locations on classroom interactions and students’ performance in Physics in Osun state. The study was conducted using descriptive survey design. The design is appropriate because a structured questionnaire was used to collect the study’s data from the study sample. The population of study consist of all Physics students in Ife Local Government in Osun state. The sample size used for the study is 150 Physics students in Ife Local Government Area in Osun state. The sample was selected through random sampling technique in stages. Two local government areas were initially selected from Ife constituency. Eight schools were randomly selected of which sizeable number of students were also chosen randomly for the study. The research instrument is made up of 3 sections. The collected data were analyzed using frequency counts, independent t-tests, and regression analysis via the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of the findings showed no significant influence of gender or school location on classroom interactions individually or jointly, as the significant values obtained were greater than the 0.05 level of significance. However, findings also revealed a joint significant influence of gender and school location on students’ performance in Physics, as the significant value obtained was less than the 0.05 level of significance. This implies that while classroom interactions were not notably affected by these factors, students’ academic performance were influenced when both factors were considered together. The study concluded that neither gender nor school locations independently determine the level of classroom interaction in Physics among senior secondary school students in Osun state but when considered together, they significantly influence students’ academic performance. Improvement of students’ performance in Physics should not only focus on content delivery but also consider social factors such as gender and school environment.