Gender Differences in Academic/Main Subjects Study: A Case of Madziwa Teachers’ College Students

The study investigated gender differences in academic /main subjects study at Madziwa, a primary school teachers’ college in Zimbabwe. The study focused on, inter-alia, trainee teachers’ choices of academic/main subjects, participation and performance in those subjects. The sample consisted of 77 student teachers and 17 lecturers. Amixed methods approach with triangulation was used to gather quantitative and qualitative data using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussion and document analysis. Findings indicated that: in performance there was no extreme qualitative difference between male and female trainees, but quantitatively males were distinctive in sciences and females in languages. Differential treatment of male and female trainee teachers by lecturers, trainees’ efforts and attitudes towards academic subjects also influenced the trainees’ performance. The study recommended increasing: the pool of main subjects from which trainees could choose, balancing gender when recruiting lecturers in order to have enough role models for the trainees and enrolling students and sensitising college stakeholders on policies of fair gender practices, in remedying the gender differences.