A Comparison of Mathematics Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Coeducational Secondary Schools’ Mixed and Gender Streamed Classes in Nakuru, Uasin Ngishu, Kericho and Baringo Counties of Kenya

Abstract

The study compared mathematics teachers' attitudes towards mixed sex and gender streamed (boys' and girls' only) classes all organized in public coeducational secondary schools of Nakuru, Uasingishu, Kericho and Baringo Counties of Kenya. An ex post facto causal comparative research design was used. Purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were used to select 20 coeducational secondary schools each from two school categories (county and sub-county) and types (those with mixed sex and gender streamed classes). Two mathematics teachers from each class type were selected from each school based on gender stratification where possible giving a total of 203 teachers. A mathematics teachers' attitude questionnaire named (MTAQ) was used to collect data. This instrument was piloted and validated to improve it before use and a reliability coefficient of 0.87 using Chronbach alpha obtained. This was considered appropriate as it was within the accepted threshold of 0.70 and above in social science research. The collected data was then analyzed using both descriptive statistics (means, standard deviation and percentages) and inferential statistics (ANOVA) at a confidence level of 0.05. The results of the study revealed that mathematics teachers' attitudes were lower towards girls' only classes as compared to boys' only and mixed sex classes in both county and sub-county coeducational schools. The statistical tests of significance show that there were statistically significant differences in county schools' mathematics teachers' attitudes while there were no significant differences in sub-county schools. The results from the study have yielded valuable information that may be used to inform the intervention in Kenya's coeducational secondary schools and advice policy makers, teachers and administrators of the schools on appropriate measures to undertake to enhance its effectiveness in the teaching and learning of mathematics.