INFLUENCE OF GENDER ON SELF-CONCEPT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KANGEMA CONSTITUENCY, MURANG’A COUNTY, KENYA

This study sought to examine the influence of gender (male and female) on self-concept and academic performance among secondary school students in Murang'a County, Kenya. The study employed a descriptive survey design targeting all the 6,168 students and 24 teacher counselors in the 24 secondary schools. Twelve secondary schools, (6 boys'/girls', and 6 mixed), were selected to take part in the study. From each of the sampled schools, 20 students were selected using stratified random sampling. In mixed schools, 10 boys and 10 girls were selected to ensure gender balance, giving a sample size of 240 students, that is, 120 boys and 120 girls. Twelve teacher counselors were also selected to participate. A questionnaire for students and an interview schedule for teacher counselors were used as the main tools for data collection. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics, (frequencies, means and percentages) and inferential statistics, (t-test and Pearson's correlation), at 0.05 level of significance. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18.0 was used to analyse data. The study established that there were statistically significant gender differences on students' self concept and academic performances. The study established that female students had a more positive self concept than male students. However, with regard to academic performance, it was established that male students were performing well in academics compared to the female students. The study recommends that guidance and counseling services should be provided to the female students based on self-concept to improve academic performance; frequent counseling sessions should be organized in schools especially among male students based on self-concept to improve in the domains of verbal, honesty, trustworthiness and same sex relations; administrators and teacher counselors should guide and counsel students on their self concept in order to improve their academic performance.