Abstract:
The long lasted gender discrimination has led to a persistent under achievement, decline in interest and enrollment in science courses by Nigerian students in general and female ones in particular. Teachers unaware of their gender discrimination during teaching worsen the situation. This study investigated the efficacy of the use of gender friendly instructional materials on students’ achievement and interest in biology. Six research questions and six hypothesesguided this study. A non-equivalent control design was used for the study. Senior secondary school one (SS1) students of two schools in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Obollo Education Zone were used for the study.These students in their intact classes were assigned to experimental and control groups. They were taught separately using different research conditions. Both groups were given pre-test and post-test using biology achievement test and biology interest inventory scale. Analysis of covariance was used to analyse the data generated to test the hypotheses at p<0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that both male and female students exposed to gender friendly instruction materials had higher mean achievement and mean interest scores than those that were not so exposed. It was also found that gender has no significant effect on students’ achievement and interest when exposed to gender friendly instructional materials.The educational implications of the findings were highlighted based on which some recommendations were made. Among which include that use of gender friendly instructional materials should be emphasized for science teachers, curriculum designers, textbook writers and publishers. Also that government in collaboration with science bodies should organise in-service training for teachers on the need to use gender friendly instructional materials for curriculum delivery.
