The Effect of Gender and Ethnicity on Selected Topics in Mathematics among Secondary School Students

Abstract

Mathematics is indispensable in daily activities and is a required subject in the education system. By understanding the possible factors contributing to students’ ability to learn mathematics, paving solutions to overcome the debility is conceivable. This study aims to examine the effect of gender and ethnicity on students’ performance in the topics of Rational Number, Factors and Multiples, and Algebraic Expressions. A total of 181 secondary school students from eight schools (male = 97, female = 84; Malay = 109, Chinese = 44, Indian = 28) were selected as sample of this study. Their response in a nine-item mixed-format mathematics test was thoroughly analysed to provide coherent information on their performance on each topic. Results showed that there was no significant difference in the students' performance based on gender. Yet, Chinese students demonstrated higher mean scores in all topics compared to their Malay and Indian counterparts. This article provides a discussion on the results obtained from the cultural perspective.