Gender Differences in Performance and Motivation: Comparing Virtual and Hands-On Lab Techniques

Abstract

This research explored gender differences in performance and motivation by comparing virtual and hands-on laboratory techniques among N.C.E Biology students in Katsina State, Nigeria. The study focused on four objectives, one of which was to assess the differences in academic performance between male and female students using virtual laboratory techniques. It included four research questions and tested four null hypotheses. A one-shot case study design was employed, with both pretest and posttest assessments for two experimental groups. The study's population consisted of 357 students: 313 males and 114 females, from which 120 N.C.E III biology students were randomly selected and divided into two experimental groups. The instruments used are: Conservation Performance Test (CPT), Virtual Laboratory Motivation Questionnaire (VLMQ), and Hands-on Laboratory Motivation Questionnaire (HLMQ), with reliability coefficients of 0.80, 0.85, and 0.75, respectively. Data was collected and analyzed post-treatment, with research questions answered through means, standard deviations, mean ranks, and sums of ranks. The null hypotheses were tested using t-tests and Mann Whitney u-test statistics. According to the findings, there was no significant difference between the academic performance of male and female students exposed to virtual and hands-on laboratory methods; the mean difference for virtual and hands-on laboratories was 0.17 and 0.65 in favor of female students, respectively. Additionally, the levels of motivation for both types of laboratory techniques were comparable between male and female students. It was recommended that virtual and hands-on laboratory strategies be used to teach biology to both genders, as they boost performance and motivation.